The Role of Sleep in Appetite and Cravings

Ever notice how it's harder to resist that bag of chips after a bad night's sleep? It's not lack of discipline – it's your brain on fatigue.

Too little sleep disrupts the hormones that control your appetite. Ghrelin, the hormone that makes you feel hungry, rises – while leptin, which signals fullness, falls. The imbalance leaves you feeling hungrier and less satisfied, even after eating.

Sleep loss also changes how your brain responds to food. The prefrontal cortex — the part that helps you make thoughtful choices — goes quiet, while the amygdala, which drives reward-seeking, goes into overdrive. Suddenly, high-sugar, high-carb and salty foods feel irresistible.

Research suggests that after just a few nights of poor sleep, people eat hundreds more calories a day, mostly from quick-energy snacks. And even when eating well, sleep deprivation can quietly work against you — in one study, dieters who slept less lost more muscle and less fat than those who were well-rested.

If you want to eat well, don't neglect your sleep. It helps keep hunger hormones balanced, reduces the pull of unhealthy foods, and makes good choices feel easier.

And it's one more reason why having healthy, homemade food already in your fridge matters — because when you're exhausted, the last thing you need is a hard decision about dinner. That's exactly what Easyfeast takes off your plate.

Because when you're well-rested, you don't fight cravings. You simply don't need to.

Sources

Walker, M. (2017). Why We Sleep: Unlocking the Power of Sleep and Dreams. Scribner.

Greer, S.M., Goldstein, A.N., & Walker, M.P. (2013). The impact of sleep deprivation on food desire in the human brain. Nature Communications.

St-Onge, M.P. et al. (2012). Sleep restriction leads to increased activation of brain regions sensitive to food stimuli. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition.

American Heart Association. Sleep and Heart Health.