Health Risks Of Sleep Deprivation

Can Increase Weight Gain

When individuals don’t get enough sleep, especially over a long period, the resulting hormonal imbalances can lead to weight gain. Many individuals feel their hunger skyrocket when they are sleep-deprived. This is because reduced sleep triggers an increase in the ghrelin hormone, which amplifies an individual's appetite. Since the energy individuals would have gotten from sleep is reduced, their body craves more high-carbohydrate, high-fat foods. At the same time, leptin, another hormone that manages an individual's appetite and signals to the body when to stop eating, decreases. The result is a perfect environment where a lack of sleep can increase weight gain. Along with these hormonal imbalances, more of the stress hormone, cortisol, is secreted to make up for the lack of energy. Cortisol increases stress in the body, leading to stress-eating and cravings for high-calorie foods.