There’s a lot of power in a good night’s sleep, including its ability to affect what you eat. Without proper sleep you’ll not only pack on unwanted pounds, but you’ll decrease your productivity, weaken your immune system, and increases your chances of serious health diseases.
Before you fall apart from sleep deprivation, check out this list of how sleep impacts your diet, according to The Huffington Post:
1. You’ll eat more: Compared to people who are getting the sleep they need each night, being sleep deprived can cause you to consume 549 extra calories each day, which can cause you to gain a pound a week, according to a 2012 study. Researchers say the reason is that the body reduces the production of leptin, the hormone that signals to us that we are full, and overproduces ghrelin, the hormone that tells us we are hungry.
2. You indulge in more snacks –especially at late night: Sleep deprivation can lead to a decrease in physical activity as well as increase your need to constantly reach for snacks. According to a 2008 study, the excessive behavior can easily help you pack on unwanted pounds.
3. Your disrupted sleep cycle will change your eating habits: Poor sleep habits knock your circadian rhythm, or internal clock that dictates our daily habits, including when we sleep, wake up, eat and so much more. Going to bed late, allows more time for calories to be consumed and can hurt the body from drifting off to sleep at the right time.
4. You crave more fatty foods and extra carbs: When you are sleepy, you aren’t considering the consequences of binging on unhealthy foods that are high in fat and carbohydrates. It only takes one single night of poor sleep to increase cravings for fatty food the next day.
5. You may be missing out on key nutrients: As you are craving unhealthy foods, getting the proper nourishment is the least of your worries without sleep. You’ll consume half of the recommended servings of fruits and vegetables, compared to normal sleepers, according to a 2013 study.
Sleep is just as important as your diet and physical activity. Be sure to check out our list of sleep-promoting foods to change your overall quality of life as you continue to make positive changes this year!
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