To compound this effect, many types of common lunch foods can exacerbate sleepiness. In other words, it’s a completely normal function to feel sleepy after lunchtime. By early afternoon, most people have been awake for about seven hours, a point which represents a natural dip in the circadian cycle. The primary biological factor is the circadian rhythm, the process that governs sleep and wakefulness. There are several factors that cause us to feel tired after eating. Some tiredness after eating is normal, but there are ways to minimize its effects so you can power through the afternoon without sacrificing work quality. For most people, it seems to kick in right after lunch and usually lasts about two hours. Darkness cues your body to release the natural sleep hormone melatonin, while light suppresses it.WE’VE ALL EXPERIENCED it at one time or another: that afternoon slump when it feels like you can barely keep your eyes open to finish out the work day. Caffeine can stay in your system for 5 to 6 hours. And steer clear of soda, tea, coffee, and chocolate after 2 p.m. Avoid eating heavy meals and alcohol close to bedtime, which may cause heartburn and make it hard to fall asleep. Stick to a schedule, waking up and retiring at the same times every day, even on weekends.Instead, take a warm bath, meditate, or read. Think relaxation and release, rather than work or entertainment. Shut down your computer, cell phone, and TV at least an hour before you hit the sack.In today’s world, snoozing can be difficult, particularly when all your screens (computers, TVs, cell phones, tablets) lure you into staying up just a little longer. Tricks and Tips for a Better Night’s Sleep So it’s not so much that if you sleep, you’ll lose weight, but that too little sleep hampers your metabolism and contributes to weight gain. Here’s why that’s bad: When your body doesn't respond properly to insulin, your body has trouble processing fats from your bloodstream, so it ends up storing them as fat. Insulin sensitivity, the researchers found, dropped by more than 30%. Within just 4 days of insufficient ZZZs, your body’s ability to process insulin - a hormone needed to change sugar, starches, and other food into energy - goes awry. Sleep deprivation makes you “metabolically groggy," University of Chicago researchers say. They felt hungrier and less satisfied after meals, and their energy was zapped. Researchers found that when dieters cut back on sleep over a 14-day period, the amount of weight they lost from fat dropped by 55%, even though their calories stayed equal. Translation: You’re more apt to hang on to fat. Too little sleep triggers a cortisol spike. This stress hormone signals your body to conserve energy to fuel your waking hours. Get less than that, and your body will react in ways that lead even the most determined dieter straight to Ben & Jerry’s. Most people need between 7 and 9 hours each night. And in a review of 18 studies, researchers found that a lack of sleep led to increased cravings for energy-dense, high-carbohydrate foods.Īdd it all together, and a sleepy brain appears to crave junk food while also lacking the impulse control to say no. In another study done at the University of Chicago, sleep-deprived participants chose snacks with twice as much fat as those who slept at least 8 hours.Ī second study found that sleeping too little prompts people to eat bigger portions of all foods, increasing weight gain. A study in the American Journal of Clinical Nutritionfound that when people were starved of sleep, late-night snacking increased, and they were more likely to choose high-carb snacks. So while you might be able to squash comfort food cravings when you’re well-rested, your sleep-deprived brain may have trouble saying no to a second slice of cake. Plus, when you’re overtired, your brain's reward centers rev up, looking for something that feels good. You don’t have the mental clarity to make good decisions. It dulls activity in the brain’s frontal lobe, the locus of decision-making and impulse control. Skimping on sleep sets your brain up to make bad decisions. Yet experts agree that getting enough shut- eye is as important to health, well-being, and your weight as are diet and exercise. Trouble is, more than a third of Americans aren't getting enough sleep on a regular basis. If this cascade of events happens a few times each year, no problem. You might be tempted to skip exercise ( too tired), get takeout for dinner, and then turn in late because you’re uncomfortably full. When you’re short on sleep, it’s easy to lean on a large latte to get moving. While you weren't sleeping, your body cooked up a perfect recipe for weight gain. It's true: Being short on sleep can really affect your weight.
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