Sleep and Your Appetite- it's more crucial than you think.

Sleep, Cravings, and Hunger

Not getting a solid sleep is no big deal, right? Wrong.

There is unfortunately no amount of coffee, sugary food, energy drinks, or self fulfilling prophecies that can change the damage that chronic poor quality sleep has on our bodies as a whole, let alone our eating habits.

That uncontrollable sugar craving, or insatiable appetite is not in your head- it’s in your gut.

Ghrelin- The Main Culprit

Ghrelin (which sounds like gremlin, which actually captures the whole vibe of this hormone on a bad night sleep pretty well), is a hormone found in our gut. It is known for hunger inducing, but also plays a role in blood sugar regulation and the release of human growth hormone. When our stomachs are empty, ghrelin makes us feel hunger so that we realise we need to refuel, so it is not all bad.

However…

When we haven’t had adequate sleep, our hormones are disrupted, meaning that we are no longer functioning optimally, our body doesn’t know why we have stayed awake longer than usual, or not rested, so we go into survival mode in a way. As well as creating a feeling of hunger, ghrelin encourages stored fat (again, it’s a survival mode thing).

How Can We Reduce Ghrelin?

Obviously, quality sleep is paramount here (thank you captain obvious), but if you’re trying to regulate after a bad night, eating a high protein meal first thing can be helpful. Weight training (if energy allows) is also an excellent way to reduce ghrelin secretion.

Leptin- The Good Guy

The saying ‘nice guys finish last’ rings true here. Leptin, like ghrelin, is a hormone- but this guy is responsible for making us feel satisfied and regulating our appetite, as well as how our caloric energy is distributed. It is found in our fat cells, and released into our bodies to provide us with energy (already stored in our bodies). When ghrelin is elevated, leptin drops- so we lose touch with the reality of whether we are still hungry or not.

So, because these 2 hormones work together to keep us going, when lack of sleep encourages a peak in ghrelin, you can see why our appetite and energy levels are highly impacted.

Sleep is not so straightforward for a range of reasons. If you have trouble falling asleep, staying asleep, or switching your mind off, work with someone you trust to get to the root cause and fix it- sleeping pills are band aids and potentially worsen the problem.

Happy sleeping!

Nanci