According to Anahed O'Connor in her recent blog article in the New York Times, lack of sleep is associated with weight gain. In a study published this year in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, a small group of men who slept only 4 hours took in more than 500 extra calories (that's 22%) than those who got 8 hours of shut eye.
A 2009 University of Chicago study had similar findings for both men and women. Subjects in this study took in significantly more calories from snacks and carbs after 5 1/2 hours than after 8 1/2 hours of sleep. I don't know about you, but I definitely crave carbohydrate rich foods when I don't sleep well.
O'Connor goes on to say that some studies blame hormones, aruging that decreased sleep creates increased ghrelin, a hormone that stimulates appetite and a decrease in leptin, which signals fullness. However, more study is needed.
The Bottom Line: Don't skimp on sleep and avoid carbs and snacks at bedtime if you don't want to gain weight (and you'll also probably be happier too!!)
