Does anyone feel more likely to slip or binge when they don't get a good nights sleep?...My last 3 slips all occurred on days when I had 4 or less hours of sleep..I only slept 4 hrs last night, and all I wanted to do today was eat
I don't necessarily binge on days that I don't get enough sleep, but I do eat more throughout the day, as I'm hungrier, due to being up more hours of the day. It's one of the reasons I'm actively trying to get more sleep (and get to bed at a decent hour each night).
We get extra energy from food, so when the sleep's not good, I definitely eat more. I wrote about my efforts to get back on track with sleep in my blog. I've had problems with getting good sleep for many, many years.
One thing that makes us more tired is not getting enough water, and a lot of times, our first reaction to to eat is merely a thirst response, because we also get water from our food. Staying well-hydrated helps manage tiredness.
When you're short of sleep, it affects your metabolism - your basic life systems have to work harder because they didn't get to rest as long as they wanted, so your body stores more fat to prepare for that mode of functioning. And guess where that fat is stored - belly! Also, the hormones released for functioning during sleep-deprived days are ones that trigger appetite and, specifically, carb cravings! So in addition to the emotional likelihood that being tired makes it harder to tell yourself the right things and make the hard right choices about eating, your physiology is working against you, too!
I always make sure to go to bed on time, if not early, the night before my weekly weigh-in so that while I sleep, all that muscle building and fat burning can make an extra difference!
Last edited by sharongracepjs; 08-18-2009 at 12:27 PM.
I am struggling to get more than 6 hours. I go to bed early then I wake up before the alarm early. I go to bed late and still get the same amount. Try for 11-7 but its more like Midnight to 7. But some times my brain gets ready to work like read or write and still cant get to sleep.
After 2 or 3 nights without enough sleep, I think that I want to eat more because my body is looking for energy to make up for the lack of sleep. I really try to be aware of what is happening to keep within my calorie limits.
If I go to sleep earlier, I get plenty of sleep. Which means I wake up earlier. It seems that I eat more on days that I wake up bright and early. It's 3:30AM now and I can't say it's completely unintentional that I'm still awake. When I wake up a little later, I eat a lot less. Definitely not healthy, really working to change this.
I can definitely tell a difference in now my body loses depending on my sleep. I work midnights and it too me a while to get on a routine. But on my nights off I am horrible!
Sleep and Diet
Does anyone feel more likely to slip or binge when they don't get a good nights sleep?...My last 3 slips all occurred on days when I had 4 or less hours of sleep..I only slept 4 hrs last night, and all I wanted to do today was eat
Also, the hormones released for functioning during sleep-deprived days are ones that trigger appetite and, specifically, carb cravings! So in addition to the emotional likelihood that being tired makes it harder to tell yourself the right things and make the hard right choices about eating, your physiology is working against you, too! 
