Is My Increased Appetite Normal?

When I don't get a good night's sleep, I feel ravenous throughout the next day. Is that normal?

Actually, it is. And in fact, the evidence is beginning to mount for lack of sleep being one of the major causes of obesity. One Columbia University study looked at the sleep habits of more than 18,000 people and found that those who get by on less than four hours of sleep a night are a belt popping 73% more likely to be obese than people who slumber seven to nine hours nightly and even those who caught six hours were 23% more likely to be obese. On the other hand, those who averaged 10 hours of shut eye were 11% less likely to be obese.

Scientists speculate that the reason less sleep equates to more pounds is because of exactly what you are experiencing: Increased appetite. When your brain is overtired it causes a disruption in the levels of leptin and gherlin, two hormones responsible for regulating hunger. "When you're deprived of sleep, the effect on your appetite hormones is not unlike under-eating," explains Steven Heymsfield, MD, one of the Columbia study's lead researchers. "Your leptin levels fall as your ghrelin levels shoot up. This triggers hunger which in turn triggers overeating and that of course leads to weight gain."

Hymsfeld notes that these hormonal changes may also signal the body to put the brakes on metabolism and hold on to fat stores more tenaciously. So if you're feeling more than a little peckish, try reaching for a pillow instead of a doughnut.