Tiredness/Hunger - correlation?

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melaniebester
melaniebester Posts: 33 Member
in Food and Nutrition
Hoping someone could answer this for me...

Do you get more hungry when you're tired? When I'm tired I seem to really want food, and usually the food I shouldn't be having. I always feel less hungry after eating something healthy, but my body just dies at the thought of a good pasta or an iced coffee... Am I the only one who feels like this?

And I wish I could say the tiredness was something I could avoid, but I'm working my butt off to afford my $500 a week college rent at the moment whilst studying. :(

Replies

  • _runnerbean_
    _runnerbean_ Posts: 640 Member
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    I always want to eat when I am tired and it's always "bad" choices like biscuits. The urge to eat isn't coming from genuine hunger, it's my poor coping mechanism of eating away tiredness/stress etc. I try to distract myself if I want to eat when tired, or I choose a healthier option. Or go to bed!
  • lemurcat12
    lemurcat12 Posts: 30,886 Member
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    Yes, there's definitely a connection for me. It was helpful just to realize that. I think part of it is the fact that lots of the foods I will tend to want in that situation spike blood sugar so wake you up in the short term. But that's a thankless cycle, obviously.
  • MyChocolateDiet
    MyChocolateDiet Posts: 22,281 Member
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    When you're tired you probably did more activity that made you tired. That activity probably burned calories, thus making you hungrier. It's logical that tired/hungry from extra activity would go together. Mystery solved.

    /thread.
  • zyxst
    zyxst Posts: 9,134 Member
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    I always want to eat when I am tired and it's always "bad" choices like biscuits. The urge to eat isn't coming from genuine hunger, it's my poor coping mechanism of eating away tiredness/stress etc. I try to distract myself if I want to eat when tired, or I choose a healthier option. Or go to bed!

    Same for me. I use food to keep myself awake and I'm not hungry. Last 3 days, I've been tired pretty early for me (10p) and it's after I've eaten a snack. I distract myself with gaming and if I'm still tired, I just go to bed. For me, it's mental and not physical hunger.
  • SideSteel
    SideSteel Posts: 11,068 Member
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    I don't know if actual hunger increases but I think it's possible that the desire to eat more pleasurable foods increases while the ability to exert willpower decreases.
  • Alluminati
    Alluminati Posts: 6,208 Member
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    If I'm tired, it seems to overwhelm all other bodily functions until I get some sleep. So no, there is no correlation for me.
  • RodaRose
    RodaRose Posts: 9,562 Member
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    Yes according to studies discussed in the NYT:
    http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2013/08/06/how-sleep-loss-adds-to-weight-gain/?_php=true&_type=blogs&_r=0
    "The relationship between sleep loss and weight gain is a strong one, borne out in a variety of studies over the years. Large population studies show that both adults and children are more likely to be overweight and obese the less they sleep at night. In smaller, controlled studies, scientists find that when people are allowed to sleep eight hours one night and then half that amount on another, they end up eating more on the days when they’ve had less sleep. One pivotal study at the University of Colorado in March showed that losing just a few hours of sleep a few nights in a row caused people to pack on an average of about two pounds.

    Other studies have found that the underlying effects of sleep deprivation on the body can in many ways be pronounced. The stress hormone cortisol climbs and markers of inflammation rise. Hormones that stimulate appetite increase, while hormones that blunt it drop. People become less sensitive to insulin, raising their risk of Type 2 diabetes."
  • Maryam2014mfp
    Maryam2014mfp Posts: 174
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    Yes according to studies discussed in the NYT:
    http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2013/08/06/how-sleep-loss-adds-to-weight-gain/?_php=true&_type=blogs&_r=0
    "The relationship between sleep loss and weight gain is a strong one, borne out in a variety of studies over the years. Large population studies show that both adults and children are more likely to be overweight and obese the less they sleep at night. In smaller, controlled studies, scientists find that when people are allowed to sleep eight hours one night and then half that amount on another, they end up eating more on the days when they’ve had less sleep. One pivotal study at the University of Colorado in March showed that losing just a few hours of sleep a few nights in a row caused people to pack on an average of about two pounds.

    Other studies have found that the underlying effects of sleep deprivation on the body can in many ways be pronounced. The stress hormone cortisol climbs and markers of inflammation rise. Hormones that stimulate appetite increase, while hormones that blunt it drop. People become less sensitive to insulin, raising their risk of Type 2 diabetes."
    Very interesting. Thanks for posting.
  • melaniebester
    melaniebester Posts: 33 Member
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    Yes according to studies discussed in the NYT:
    http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2013/08/06/how-sleep-loss-adds-to-weight-gain/?_php=true&_type=blogs&_r=0
    "The relationship between sleep loss and weight gain is a strong one, borne out in a variety of studies over the years. Large population studies show that both adults and children are more likely to be overweight and obese the less they sleep at night. In smaller, controlled studies, scientists find that when people are allowed to sleep eight hours one night and then half that amount on another, they end up eating more on the days when they’ve had less sleep. One pivotal study at the University of Colorado in March showed that losing just a few hours of sleep a few nights in a row caused people to pack on an average of about two pounds.

    Other studies have found that the underlying effects of sleep deprivation on the body can in many ways be pronounced. The stress hormone cortisol climbs and markers of inflammation rise. Hormones that stimulate appetite increase, while hormones that blunt it drop. People become less sensitive to insulin, raising their risk of Type 2 diabetes."
    Very interesting. Thanks for posting.

    Yes, very interesting! I wasn't so much looking for a "tell me the answer" as a discussion, and wow, this piece of study is certainly provoking. Its nice to know I'm not the only one- I'm not necessarily craving foods for hunger, mostly I just want foods my willpower usually stops me having.
  • beachgirl172723
    beachgirl172723 Posts: 151 Member
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    There is a distinct correlation for me with lack of sleep and hunger - I can see it by my logging of both. I've read it also has to do with ghrelin hormone increases ( signals hunger) when there is not enough sleep. Leptin decreases with lack of sleep- ( hormone that signals hunger satisfaction). None of this means that it's impossible to fight, but it's more of a fight on the days where there is less sleep.
  • Biggirllittledreams
    Biggirllittledreams Posts: 306 Member
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    Correlation does not equal causation! ;)

    There is definitely a relationship for me though - as many have mentioned above.

    I do also tend to reach for much more unhealthy foods - primarily those are going to give my body 'quick' sources of energy, but often not sustainable sources of energy (for example, a candy bar as a quick source of energy, versus a quinoa salad as something more sustainable). So when i'm tired, i try really hard to make sure that i'm reaching for healthier and long-term sources of energy, as my body often craves quite the opposite.

    There's plenty of studies supporting the theory that having a sleep deficit affects your appetite as well. A quick Google search could probably pop that up for ya'.
  • ge105
    ge105 Posts: 268 Member
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    Yes. In my experiance I am thinnest when I am making sleep a priority. I have done intuitive eating (eat until satisfied) but not watching my sleep and am definitly bigger when I do that. I lost some weight when I was being careful to sleep well and I think it was due to being less hungry. Just a tip if you can't get more sleep, when you do get some try and make the room as dark as possible- no lit up alarm clock, no computers with blinking lights, etc. you'll sleep better.

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