Yes, yes, sleep, or rather its lack, is associated with our food preferences, overeating, and being overweight. Moreover, there is a clear definition of this in the scientific literature 'Sleep-obesity relation' – the impact of sleep, its structure and duration on dietary adherence, diet, and the development of obesity. I have selected the most interesting ones.
So, if we don't get enough sleep, we will:
1) the next day, snack more often (the number of snacks will increase), and we will mainly choose more calorie-dense foods for snacks.
2) we are more likely to choose 'unhealthy food' the next day and are more prone to overeating (a strong preference for unhealthy food is realised through a specific neuronal mechanism).
3) on average, we will consume 300 kcal more the next day than usual.
4) there will be a more pronounced craving for carbohydrate snacks.
5) we will feel hungrier throughout the next day – insufficient sleep duration affects the feeling of satiety, even with the same caloric intake (related to the secretion of the satiety hormone and its perception disruption).
Therefore, it is important to work on sleep hygiene just as much as on the contents of your plate and your eating habits.
And how much do you sleep on average, is this time enough for you to feel rested?
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