Don’t Let Your Poor Sleep Derail Your Nutrition Goals

We get hungry because our body signals us to eat. Hormones like leptin, cortisol, and ghrelin regulate most of the hunger we feel.

Lack of sleep triggers cortisol release. This happens through a pathway that starts in the hypothalamus, moves through the pituitary gland, and ends in the adrenal glands. The adrenal glands release cortisol, increasing hunger.

Sleep deprivation also increases ghrelin. Ghrelin stimulates both appetite and eating. At the same time, it decreases leptin, which usually suppresses hunger. So, when you don’t get enough sleep, your body craves more food.

Even short interruptions to sleep, like hot flashes or bathroom trips, increase sympathetic activity. This can raise inflammation, worsen sugar metabolism, and disrupt cholesterol levels. The long-term consequences can affect overall health.

Just one night of poor sleep can trigger these changes. With two or more nights of disrupted sleep, leptin drops further, and ghrelin rises, making you even hungrier.