Hormonal
Short-term sleep restriction (typically <6 hours/night) increases vulnerability to obesity by dysregulating appetite hormones (lowering leptin, raising ghrelin) and increasing subjective hunger and caloric intake, particularly from high-calorie carbohydrates.
Prioritize getting 7-9 hours of sleep. If you are consistently sleeping less than 6 hours, you are biologically predisposed to eat more, especially high-calorie carbs, due to hormonal shifts. Fixing sleep may be as important for weight management as diet and exercise.
Experimental studies have found that short-term sleep restriction is associated with impaired glucose metabolism, dysregulation of appetite, and increased blood pressure... Mean leptin levels were 18% lower, mean ghrelin levels were 28% higher, and subjective appetite was 23% higher in the sleep restriction condition... appetite for high-calorie, carbohydrate-rich foods... increased more than for other food types.
Why this rating
Supported by multiple experimental studies showing hormonal changes and increased intake, though observational studies show mixed results and causality in long-term settings is less certain.
Source
Does inadequate sleep play a role in vulnerability to obesity?
Kristen L. Knutson · American Journal of Human Biology · 2012
DOI 10.1002/ajhb.22219
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