Research
Hormonal
Insufficient sleep duration (less than 7 hours) disrupts hormonal regulation of appetite by decreasing leptin and increasing ghrelin, leading to increased caloric intake, preference for high-calorie foods, and higher risk of obesity.
Prioritize getting 7-9 hours of sleep. If you are sleep-deprived, you are biologically predisposed to eat more and crave high-calorie foods due to hormonal shifts (low leptin, high ghrelin). Fixing sleep is often more effective for weight management than dieting alone.
GoodSupportsHIGH confidence
The level of leptin in persons with insufficient sleep durations decreases, while the level of ghrelin, which leads to a subjective feeling of hunger, is increased [52,53]. ... Short sleepers prefer high-calorie foods and frequent snacks, and they skip meals more frequently [51].
Why this rating
Supported by multiple observational studies and meta-analyses cited in the review regarding hormonal changes and obesity risk.
Source
Sleep Quality: A Narrative Review on Nutrition, Stimulants, and Physical Activity as Important Factors
Monika Sejbuk et al. · Nutrients · 2022
DOI 10.3390/nu14091912
narrative_reviewCited 368×
Read the paper DOI resolved against Crossref · corpus check 2026-06-10
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