Eat more when you’re tired?

Mark 14th March in your calendar. While ‘World Sleep Day’ might sound like a real ‘snooze-fest’, most of us are guilty of not valuing the time we’re asleep as highly as we should. Sleeping is seen as something we can cut down on when we’re busy or catch up on when we can. But being tired can have unexpected consequences.

You might notice you argue with your partner more, or feel anxious about something (it’s OK, you didn’t actually leave the hairdryer on). But do you also find yourself reaching for the fridge a bit more than usual? Or perhaps it was you who finished the rest of those Custard Creams?

WHY DO WE EAT MORE WHEN WE'RE TIRED?

That’s because tiredness and hunger are inextricably linked. When you’re tired, the body goes into survival mode, seeking out the dopamine hit of sugar, sweets, chocolate, anything… to keep it switched on and alert, when really you should be sleeping.

If you look at this on a biological level, being exhausted affects the release of leptin, the appetite-regulating hormone that tells our body we’re full. Without this message being sent to our brains, our body will just keep on eating and eating and eating.

On top of this, a bad night’s sleep also leads to a spike in another hormone, ghrelin, which makes you feel hungry. When we’re tired, the double hit of reduced leptin and increased ghrelin will encourage even the most self-controlled among us fall into a spiral of overeating and weight gain.

The relationship between eating and sleep isn’t just about hormone release, however. Researchers at UC Berkeley used functional magnetic resonance imaging to study participants’ brains after a normal and a bad night’s sleep. They found a lack of sleep changed the prefrontal cortex, the part of the brain responsible for complex decision making, meaning that people make decisions based on the fact that they think they’re hungry when actually they’re just tired.

HOW CAN YOU IMPROVE YOUR SLEEP AND BREAK THE OVEREATING SPIRAL?

Getting your sleep sorted will help you make better choices when it comes to what, when and how often you eat. We’re all made differently – for some, an early night is 9pm, for others it’s 1am – but, more important than the time you go to bed, is going to bed at the same time every night, and getting a good stretch of sleep, whether that’s for seven or 10 hours.

Ensuring you’re in the right frame of mind before you settle down is also crucial. Avoid screens, caffeine, sugar and alcohol for at least an hour before, and check your bedroom is set up for optimal sleep. Make sure you change the bedding regularly, have the correct tog duvet and a room temperature that you feel comfortable in and aren’t too hot or cold. If sunlight wakes you up, especially in midsummer, use blackout curtains and a sleep mask so you won’t be disturbed till the morning.

Another great tip is to use our Rest Natural Sleep Remedy. Drop a small amount onto your tongue, 30-60 minutes before bed, and you’ll find nodding off just got a whole lot easier. Rest reduces anxiety, lowers cortisol (our stress hormone) and speeds up how fast you fall asleep. It’s made from all-natural ingredients so there’s no melatonin or CBD that will leave you feeling groggy the next day. Instead, your sleep quality is improved so you’ll wake up refreshed and alert, ready for whatever you have planned – and without that urge to raid the kitchen cupboards. In fact, 89% of trial participants saw an improvement in sleep in just one week, with no one feeling groggy the next day.

So, rather than faddy diets, who would have guessed that solving your poor eating habits was so simple? It might not quite be under your nose but it’s certainly under your duvet.