There are many reasons for sleeping poorly; coming home from work, dealing with traffic, and stress, all make you quickly reach for whatever is within your grasp in the refrigerator, almost on impulse, regardless of whether it’s the best option or not. All that matters is satisfying hunger. Perhaps this poor choice is due to your lack of sleep.
Contrary to common belief, if you sleep little, you’ll gain weight. And genes are again responsible for this. The metabolism and mechanisms of hunger and satiety are disrupted if you don’t rest for enough hours.
Does Poor Sleep Make You Gain Weight? Reasons Why It Happens
According to a study conducted at the University of Berkeley, people who don’t get enough sleep are affected in their ability to make proper food choices. Researchers found an intimate relationship between sleep and the ability to make intelligent decisions, so people who sleep less than 7 hours have a strong tendency to develop obesity, as they activate a gene called “Period”.
This “Period” gene is responsible for regulating sleep schedules and seasonal mood changes. According to the study that analyzed 23 adults who were scanned for brain activity, the first time they were induced to have restful sleep; the second time, they slept very little. They then evaluated 80 different foods. The first time, healthy foods were well received; the second time, less healthy foods with high sugar and fat content were seen as a reward. This is because the frontal lobe of the brain is reduced after a bad night’s sleep; this brain area regulates judgment, impulse control, and decision-making.
Other data shows that lack of sleep contributes to increased calorie consumption and consumption of high-fat and high-sugar foods, and there are hormonal changes that increase appetite. A recent study also published that fructose affects memorization and learning abilities.
This story was originally published in Spanish in Ecoosfera.
