You probably already know that chronic sleep deprivation is associated with things like obesity, diabetes, high blood pressure & heart disease, but did you know that a lack of sleep can greatly increase cravings for highly processed foods, aka junk food?
Your ability to make good decisions in nutrition is not just a mental decision you make but are also highly influenced by the amount of sleep you do or don’t get on a regular basis.
Sleep is your body’s way of restoring energy to every system that helps it function properly. Your brain, hormones, muscles, and nervous system need enough rest to allow you to function in the fast-paced life you live. You’ve likely heard the dangers of driving while sleepy, but making nutrition decisions while functioning on too little sleep can also have extremely damaging effects.
There is a true physiological aspect that goes into your nutritional decision-making process: Leptin & Ghrelin. These two incredibly important hormones are made by the body while we sleep & are solely responsible for telling your body when you are hungry and when you are full. When they do not function properly, your decision-making is off.
And studies* show that when your decision-making is off in your nutrition, it typically leads to choosing highly processed foods that are nutrient deficient and full of an unnatural amount of carbohydrates and fats combined.
Your body also knows that when you are sleepy, it needs energy to keep going. That’s why it craves food. Physiologically food is the body’s first line of defense to gain energy. Your nervous system, including your olfactory glands & taste buds, go into overdrive in search of smell & taste to keep it going.
An ongoing issue with sleep not only keeps your metabolism functioning sub-par but also leads to ongoing choices to fill your belly with highly processed junk food instead of whole foods.
Next time you have a “craving,” ask yourself if you’re tired. If so, try to take a nap & reorganize your day so you can get to bed earlier, but if you truly need to eat something, have a mindful snack of berries & nuts and a large glass of water. Doing this each time you have a junk food “craving” will begin to rework the neuropathways of your brain to help you make better decisions even when you can’t get enough sleep.
Making sleep a priority will take some work, but in the long run, it will keep your entire body functioning properly & help you make the best nutrition decisions.