Are You Sleep-Deprived and Craving Carbs?

Are you a carb craver? You may be suprised to learn about a common cause of carb cravings … lack of sleep! Read dietetic intern Shabnum Greenfield’s post on sleep deprivation and carb cravings.

Sleep and hunger: the research
When it comes to sleep and hunger the research out there is pretty unanimous in its conclusions: sleep deprivation leads to increases in ghrelin (a hormone that signals to your brain that you are hungry) and possibly even decreases in leptin (a hormone that signals to your brain that you are full) which in turn leads to you eating too many calories. Over the course of several months or even years these excess calories can lead to weight gain.

My personal experience
Familiar as I was with this research, I was astounded when I experienced it first-hand last week.  As someone who functions pretty poorly when I don’t get enough sleep I usually make quite an effort to get my eight hours of shuteye a night, even if it means sacrificing social plans or working on the weekends to do everything I need to do. Last weekend I found myself unexpectedly taking a redeye from California to New York on Sunday night due to some unforeseen family circumstances. As anyone who has ever sat in the middle seat of the back row of economy in a fully-booked overnight flight knows…sleep can be elusive to say the least! I probably got about three hours of interrupted sleep. (pic: bing.com) After landing in New York at 5am, I was running around, taking care of family business until late that night. I honestly cannot remember the last time I was so continuously ravenous over the course of a single day. The day started off alright with a Greek yogurt and banana that I grabbed on my way to baggage claim, but from then on it was all downhill: granola bar, “fruit leather”, a veggie sandwich for lunch, pita chips and another granola bar in the afternoon, pizza for dinner, a Twix bar…and the list continued on with many more late-night snacks. I was amazed not only at how hungry I was, but also by my carb-specific cravings. (pic: realbeauty.com )A few months ago City Girl Bites featured a post on the effects of sleep deprivation on appetite and looked at a study that pointed to people craving high-fat foods like ice cream when they were running on little sleep. After my experience, I was curious to see what the research said about carb cravings following a night of sleep deprivation. Sure enough there is evidence supporting both.

Study #1: Researchers at the University of Chicago found that when healthy young men underwent two days of sleep deprivation (four hours a night) their leptin levels went down, their ghrelin levels went up and they reported being much hungrier, particularly for calorie-dense, high-carbohydrate foods.

Study #2: A more recent study in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition also found that participants assigned to sleep only 5 ½ hours a night (versus those that were assigned to sleep 8 ½ hours a night) consumed far more calories the next day. Furthermore, they found that most of these calories came from snacks rather than meals, particularly carbohydrate-rich snacks later in the day. (Sounds like my experience!)

Study #3: Yet another recent study from the same journal found that participants who only slept four hours a night (versus eight hours a night) ate more calories the next day. They also noted that at lunch participants ate “less chicken” and “more bread” than those who had slept eight hours and at dinner they ate more fat than their well-rested counterparts.

So in an ideal world we’d all be getting plenty of sleep, right? Unfortunately, as busy New Yorkers juggling work, family and social lives this isn’t always possible.

Here are some tips to deal with hunger when sleep deprived:
– Pick a protein. Protein helps to keep you full for longer so may help curb excess feelings of hunger. If you’re craving something with fat, try a 2% plain Greek yogurt or a small (2 oz) piece of cheese, if carbs are your thing, then you may want to go for a bowl of high-protein instant oatmeal or a handful of wholegrain crackers with a tablespoon of peanut butter. (pic: nomeatathlete.com)

– Load up on fiber. Fiber also helps to keep you full for longer and you can easily get your carb fix at the same time if you choose a piece of whole fruit. Fat-cravers might find satisfaction in a handful of nuts (just be careful to watch your portions!)

– Keep busy. If you feel a craving coming on, find a way to keep your mind and body occupied: return phone calls, clean your house, catch up on email, do some gardening. (pic: consumerreports.org)

– Go for a walk. Research indicates that exercise can actually suppress feelings of hunger so not only will you burn a few extra calories, you’ll also be able to resist that mid-afternoon chocolate chip cookie.

– Get more sleep! Sounds like common sense, but many of us really need to work on making changes in our lifestyle so we can get more sleep.

– Stay hydrated. Being dehydrated can cause headaches as well as exacerbate feelings of hunger and fatigue.

I’d like to thank Shabnam Greenfield, dietetic intern for writing this article. Shabnam received her MS in Nutrition Education from Columbia University and is currently completing her dietetic internship. She is always on the lookout for healthy ways to satisfy her sweet tooth.

References:
http://www.ajcn.org.ezproxy.cul.columbia.edu/content/89/1/126.abstract
http://www.ajcn.org.ezproxy.cul.columbia.edu/content/91/6/1550.abstract
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15583226
David Stensel. Exercise, Appetite and Appetite-Regulating Hormones: Implications for Food Intake and Weight Control. Ann Nutr Metab 2010;57 (Suppl. 2):36-42.