Research from the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition suggests that people who do not get enough sleep tend to eat more while failing to burn additional calories. A separate study conducted in Sweden produced similar findings, showing that individuals who were sleep deprived burned up to 20 per cent fewer calories per day. In both cases, the likely result is weight gain.
When you combine inadequate sleep with today’s fast-paced lifestyles, along with increased consumption of fast food and sugary beverages, it becomes easier to understand why obesity rates continue to rise.
Researchers believe one explanation may involve the hormones that regulate hunger. When a person is sleep deprived, the hormones that control when we feel hungry, how hungry we feel, and what foods we crave can become disrupted. As a result, people may feel hungrier and be more likely to crave high-calorie foods.
Another factor may be the poor health choices people often make when they are tired. Lack of sleep has also been linked to a variety of other health problems, further emphasising the importance of proper rest.
Maintaining a healthy lifestyle involves more than just eating well and staying active—it also means making sure you get enough quality sleep each night.
Source: American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, online June 29, 2011.
