In today’s society, lack of sleep is all too frequent, impacting around one in three individuals and being linked to a host of physical and mental health issues, including obesity, depression, anxiety, and increased weight due to food cravings. But good sleep isn’t just for grownups! Research shows that sleep deprivation in early life increases the risk of obesity in childhood and adulthood!
While infants under five need 10 to 13 hours of sleep every day, adults need seven to eight hours per night to prevent the negative consequences of sleep deficit.
Interestingly, lack of sleep can also cause food cravings, resulting in weight gains. First of all, insufficient sleep raises appetite and consumption of food while decreasing energy expenditure. We are less inclined to exercise, such as jogging, walking, or playing sports, when we are sleep deprived and exhausted. Instead, we are more prone to snacking, eating irregular meals, and selecting highly processed foods.
An increase in waking hours provides greater opportunities for snacking. Although consuming a higher quantity of nutritious foods is highly advantageous for both mental and physical well-being, insufficient sleep combined with the intake of unhealthy foods—such as those high in trans and saturated fats, sugars, and sodium—can negatively impact our weight, mood, and overall mental health.
Lack of sleep also results in an imbalance between two very specific hormones —ghrelin and leptin. Ghrelin is known as the hunger hormone because it boosts our appetite, whereas leptin acts as the fullness hormone that signals when we’re satisfied. When we don’t get enough sleep, these two hormones can get unbalanced, resulting in higher levels of ghrelin and lower levels of leptin. This disruption can trigger cravings, lead to overeating, and may even contribute to obesity in some individuals.
The Role of Ghrelin and Leptin in Food Cravings
As discussed earlier, not getting enough sleep can lead to imbalances in ghrelin and leptin levels. Normally, when we sleep, leptin levels, which make us feel full, should go up. But if we don’t get at least seven hours of sleep each night, our leptin levels drop, making us feel hungrier and causing us to eat too much when we’re awake.
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Any disruption to our sleep, whether it’s not getting enough sleep or having poor quality sleep due to sleep problems or other reasons, can make our ghrelin levels, which make us feel hungry, go up. When our leptin levels go down and our ghrelin levels go up, we end up feeling hungrier than we really are, which can lead to overeating and possibly gaining weight and becoming obese.
With that in mind, consuming plenty of protein-packed meals along with high-fiber options such as fruits, vegetables, beans, legumes, and whole grains can lower ghrelin levels and help manage your appetite.
Maintaining a balance between leptin and ghrelin through adequate sleep, consistent exercise, and nutritious eating can aid in appetite control, prevent weight gain, and promote both physical and mental well-being. Researchers in Germany have proposed that the levels of ghrelin in the body significantly impact the speed at which hunger returns after eating, with levels typically spiking before a meal and decreasing for approximately three hours post-meal.
Hormonal Imbalances from Sleep Deficiency
Besides the hormones ghrelin and leptin, other hormones such as serotonin, dopamine, melatonin, and cortisol play significant roles in the regulation of appetite and cravings. These hormones also substantially influence our mental well-being, quality of sleep, and overall daily performance.
For example, serotonin is a neurotransmitter that governs various functions, including memory, mood, sleep, hunger, and body temperature. It operates in conjunction with dopamine, another neurotransmitter, to facilitate the process of falling asleep, ensuring a restorative night’s rest, and promoting a refreshed awakening. Both these hormones also impact appetite; serotonin diminishes hunger sensations, whereas dopamine encourages the desire to eat.
Additionally, serotonin is essential for the synthesis of melatonin, a hormone often referred to as the “sleep hormone.” This hormone is crucial for regulating our circadian rhythm and sleep-wake cycle; melatonin is produced by our bodies in response to darkness, facilitating the process of falling asleep and enhancing the quality of our sleep throughout the night.
Conversely, exposure to morning light leads to a reduction in melatonin levels and an increase in cortisol levels, which aids in waking us up. Cortisol, often termed “the alert hormone,” functions in opposition to melatonin. Ideally, cortisol levels should peak when melatonin levels are at their lowest and reach their lowest point when melatonin levels are at their highest.
Melatonin, Cortisol, and Hunger Pangs
Just like serotonin and dopamine, melatonin and cortisol play a role in shaping our eating behaviors and appetite. When cortisol levels rise above the usual range—such as during stressful periods—ghrelin levels go up, which boosts our hunger. At the same time, the hypothalamus, the part of the brain that regulates feelings of fullness, becomes less responsive to leptin. This combination can mislead us into feeling hungrier than we actually are, often resulting in overeating and, in many instances, choosing unhealthy foods.
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As we get older, particularly after the age of 40, our melatonin levels tend to drop naturally. Additionally, factors like obesity, working night shifts, and interruptions in our light-dark cycles—such as too much light exposure in the evening—can also lead to reduced melatonin production.
Strategies to Improve Sleep and Control Cravings
Adopting proper sleep hygiene and integrating additional healthy practices into daily routines enhances melatonin secretion during the evening, thereby improving sleep quality and promoting a more restful night:
- Try to get up and hit the hay at the same time every day.
- Create a calming bedtime routine that helps you unwind, like enjoying a warm bath, meditating, doing some deep breathing exercises, or diving into a good book.
- Try to skip caffeine in the late afternoon and evening.
- It is advisable to refrain from consuming alcohol prior to sleep, allowing a minimum of four hours to elapse in order to minimize the likelihood of alcohol interfering with your sleep quality.
- Establish a serene, tranquil, and cozy atmosphere conducive to restful sleep.
- Consider incorporating some relaxing activities into your bedtime routine to help lower stress levels. You might find journaling, practicing yoga, or snuggling under a weighted blanket to be beneficial.
- Embrace intuitive eating during your day, as it can lead to benefits like better sleep, enhanced digestion, and lower stress levels.
- Enjoy well-rounded meals that emphasize fiber-packed foods, whole grains, nutritious proteins, and gut-loving probiotics and prebiotics.
Hunger Hormones, Body Weight, and Depression
It’s clear now that getting enough sleep, staying active, eating well, and taking care of ourselves can really help keep our hunger hormones in check, reduce cravings, and stop unwanted weight gain. Plus, keeping these hormones balanced can also help fend off mental health issues like depression. One study showed that people with obesity had a 55 percent higher chance of developing depression over time.
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Additionally, individuals dealing with obesity often experience diminished self-esteem and heightened body dissatisfaction, a phenomenon also observed in those facing emotional or disordered eating challenges. If you find yourself grappling with these issues, rest assured that you are not alone.
Many of my clients initially approach me with similar concerns. This understanding informs my holistic approach to wellness, which encompasses not only food and nutrition but also sleep, stress management, physical activity, mind-body practices, and genetic analysis. Numerous factors influence our overall physical and mental health.
Should you wish to explore strategies for addressing emotional eating or are seeking to cultivate self-compassion, I strongly encourage you to consider participating in either private or group coaching sessions. These platforms provide an opportunity to engage with my classes and receive support on these important topics.
