Inadequate sleep makes you hungrier

People tend to feel hungrier and eat more when they are deprived of adequate sleep and thus, those who are trying to stay trim should sure they get adequate sleep.

A number of studies have linked shorter sleep duration with higher body mass index (BMI) - a measure of weight in relation to height used to gauge whether someone is overweight or obese. But no experimental studies to date have actually looked at what happens to a normal-weight person's eating patterns when he or she sleeps less. To investigate, researchers from France looked at sleep, eating, and energy expenditure in 12 healthy young men across two 48-hour sessions.

Two days served as a control period, during which the participants stuck to their normal routines but kept track of their sleep, eating and activities in a diary. During the second two-day period, the men went to bed at midnight and woke up at 8 a.m. on one day, and on the other day went to bed at 2 a.m. and woke up at 6 a.m. They were allowed to eat as much as they liked.

After the night of short sleep, it was found that the men took in 22 percent more calories, on average, than when they were allowed to sleep for eight hours. They ate more at breakfast and dinner, but not at lunch. The average calorie increase was about 560.

The findings indicate that adequate sleep is essential for optimal body function.