5 Ways Your Sleep Affects What You Eat

Great power lies in a solid night's sleep. Logging those 7-9 hours of shut-eye daily helps us stay mentally sharp, repair damage done to our bodies during the day, reduce stress and even achieve more success in life. But what happens when you don't give your body the rest it needs? Once a healthy sleep routine falls apart, the rest of the body seems to follow suit. Research has linked too little sleep to a decrease in productivity, weaker immune system, and increased risk of heart disease, stroke and cancer. It even affects the ways we eat -- in major ways and not for the better. Here are five ways sleep deprivation could be negatively affecting your dietary health. Sleeping less? You're probably eating more. A 2012 Mayo Clinic study compared the eating habits of people who slept as much as they needed to those who only logged two-thirds of their required rest time for eight days, and found that subjects who were sleep-deprived ended up eating an average of 549 extra calories each day (which could led to the gaining of one pound per week if the habit persisted). Other researchers have attributed this overeating response to the body's simultaneous reduction of leptin, a hormone that signals feelings of fullness, and overproduction of ghrelin, a hormone that signals feelings of hunger, when you are sleep-deprived. You snack more often -- especially late at night. While some dietitians suggest that eating several smaller, snack-sized meals throughout the day can be ...
Source: Healthy Living - The Huffington Post - Category: Consumer Health News Source Type: news