Who has never woken up after a very short night (and probably too much alcohol) with the irrepressible desire to eat at McDo or a pizza? Rest assured, this is completely normal and a study has just proven it. According to an analysis published in the European Journal of Clinical Nutrition, which combed through 11 studies on sleep (and specifically the impact of short nights), we tend to consume 385 calories more on average after a short night (the "normal" night being 7 to 8 hours) and above all, to throw on food as soon as you wake up.
The explanation is to be found on the side of hormones:the lack of sleep indeed plays on leptin, the hormone of satiety which therefore reduces appetite, by lowering its rate, while in parallel, we observe an increase of the hunger hormone, ghrelin. It is this metabolic disturbance that explains the strong desire to eat more (and preferably fatty and less protein-rich foods). Asked by the Telegraph, Dr. Gerda Pot (researcher at King's College London and the Vrije Universiteit in Amsterdam), explained:"In the long term, if the lack of sleep translates into more calories ingested, it can contribute to weight gain. The main cause of obesity is an imbalance between calorie intake and expenditure and this study helps to prove that lack of sleep contributes to this imbalance. »
Of course, other studies are to be done (and preferably in real life) before being able to formally affirm that sleep and especially its lack are factors favoring obesity, but it is still a good reason to pamper your nights!
