Sleep impacts our hunger, along with many other factors in our (busy) lives! Tiredness is known to decrease your willpower. You know that two chocolate biscuits are enough! When you’re tired, willpower may also be depleted, making it harder than usual to remember the big picture and put the rest away for another time. A 2015 review of research that looked at the link between sleep and self-control suggested that good sleep habits could “refuel a person’s ability to make more difficult choices”.
Being tired can also decrease your incidental exercise. When you’re energetic, it’s a lot easy to bound up the stairs or walk to the shops, but when you’re fatigued, you may be more tempted to take the easy route.
Sleep deprivation can also affect your resting metabolic rate. When the body doesn’t get enough sleep it conserves energy by slowing down your body’s basic functions. Think about how much more revitalised you feel after a holiday.
Also read: 6 Steps To A Better Nights Sleep
The more time that you spend sleeping, the less time you have to eat! Do you struggle with snacking late at night? An easy way to solve this problem is to head to bed a little bit earlier.
A recent review found that when people are sleep deprived they consume an additional 400 calories per day! Appetite control is another major reason why a good night’s sleep is essential for a healthy weight.
Also read: This 10 Minute Workout Will Help You Sleep Better
When your sleep impacts your hunger, a good tip is to try and be prepared. Organise some smart snacks and get ahead while you can. Hard boil two eggs for snacks and make up a bag of trail mix. Even try going for a walk! These little tips will help!
GOOD LUCK FELLOW SLEEPY HEADS! We’ve got this! Xx
