If your sleep is messed up, you’ll literally bloat! 😅 And let me tell you why:
You gain weight because you don’t sleep well, and you eat in the middle of the night because you don’t sleep well at all…
There are two hormones that no one talks about much, and only recently have they been discussed in the field of sleep, that mess up your sleep… and mess up your eating habits too.
Leptin & Ghrelin
You might think that lack of sleep causes fatigue and affects your immunity and decision-making, and that’s it… That’s true, but the truth is that your body activates a hormonal emergency unit as soon as your sleep is disrupted.
The first two heroes in this food-related matter are:
Leptin and Ghrelin.
Ghrelin: This is what stimulates your appetite. The more you increase it, the hungrier you get.
Leptin: This is the opposite; it’s what tells your brain, “That’s enough food.”
In short, based on numerous studies, when your sleep is disrupted, leptin (the hormone that suppresses appetite) decreases, while ghrelin (the hormone that stimulates it) increases—as shown in the graph in the image.
When your sleep is disrupted, the following happens:
1️⃣ Ghrelin levels rise, leading to a sudden increase in appetite, unfortunately often for foods high in fat and sugar.
This hormone also disrupts sleep and helps you wake up, so you might wake up in the middle of the night to go to the fridge and finish off that leftover pasta bake from lunch.
2️⃣ Leptin levels decrease, meaning the signal that says “I’m full” disappears, so you keep eating without realizing it.
The result?
Your body reacts as if you’re in “starvation mode,” so it starts storing more fat. Over time, you gain weight, even if your food intake isn’t as large as you thought it would be.
Furthermore, hormonal imbalances are also linked to increased insulin resistance, which worsens mood and reduces energy levels.
In other words: Fixing your sleep cycle = fixing your appetite cycle + mood + energy levels. And then you’ll be able to lose weight.
