Four ways lack of sleep can help make you obese
Research shows getting too little sleep can have a raft of negative consequences, from overeating to making poor decisions
We all know how hard it is to get through a work day after a bad night's slumber, but there's a growing pool of evidence that links poor sleep quantity and quality to increased food intake in both adults and children.
In a new paper published in the Journal of Health Psychology, researchers from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln reviewed published studies and conclude that sleep patterns heavily alter and influence the biological, emotional, cognitive, behavioural and environmental factors that drive food intake.
These factors may also influence each other, further compounding the effect of disrupted sleep on increased food consumption.
Specific emphasis is placed on environmental factors such as high-stress environments, which the researchers say put some individuals at "dual risk" for both disrupted sleep patterns and excessive eating.
But it's not just how long you sleep; the time you hit the sack and the variability of sleep patterns affect food intake, too.
Seasonal variations in light and temperature may affect sleep patterns, and, therefore, food intake. Research shows poorer sleep and greater food intake in the autumn and winter.