The Sleeping Diet

November 28, 2001

Some days, it seems like however much I eat, my stomach just won’t fill up. One possible culprit? A lack of Zzzs.

 

A recent study published in the Annals of Internal Medicine found that four nights of sleep deprivation reduced insulin sensitivity in fat cells by 30 percent—which means the body’s producing that much less leptin, a hormone that inhibits our appetite. On top of that, previous research has also shown that getting only four hours of sleep a night slows our metabolism. Double oof.

 

Every body has different sleep needs, but the average is about eight hours. If you feel a never-ending need to nibble, try hopping into bed a couple hours early tonight and see if it’s easier to put down the crackers tomorrow.