New Study: Less Sleep Results in Excessive Eating

A recently published paper has found that poor sleeping habits can lead to excessive eating. 

The new study suggests that disrupted sleep can influence food intake and food choices, which could effect the health of both adults and children long-term.

The researchers of the study, Alyssa Lundahl and Timothy D. Nelson of the University of Nebraska-Lincoln commented: "It is well recognized that food intake is implicated in many chronic health issues including obesity, diabetes, and heart disease, and diet is often a target of treatment to prevent the onset of these condition."

The two researchers further explained that learning the link between lack of sleep and food intake can help prevent chronic health issues like obesity or diabetes, states the University Herald.

They go on to say, "Understanding the mechanisms linking disrupted sleep patterns to increased food intake is important for informing both prevention and treatment interventions for chronic health conditions."

According to the paper, the consumption of food is based on biological, emotional, cognitive and environmental factors, reports Daily Mail. It would seem that lack of sleep can effect these factors.

For example, sleep deprivation can trigger the body to increase levels of ghrelin, which is the hunger hormone that stimulates appetite, according to other studies.

Meanwhile, Lundahl and Nelson explained that tired people tend to suffer great emotional stress, which can make them more impulsive. Mixing exhaustion with stress and an impulsive attitude will make people more likely to seek comfort in food and less likely to resist bad food choices.

At the end of their paper, Lundahl and Nelson, concluded: "Health psychologists should be mindful of the link between sleep and eating, and sleep should be actively considered in efforts to modify dietary behavior."

According to Science Daily, the new paper was published by Sage in the Journal of Health Psychology (JHP).

Dr. David Marks, the editor of JHP, made a statement concerning the results of Lundahl and Nelson's study. He says, "The research stimulated by Lundahl and Nelson has important treatment implications for health conditions often treated with dietary interventions and illustrates the need for research to empirically examine the underlying mechanisms of food intake."

"It is important for people to be aware the findings of this study so that if they [are suffering] from lack of sleep, they can take greater care to consider the quality and quantity of food that they are consuming," added Dr. Marks.