Sleeping Less Causes Larger Appetite

Losing sleep over work, relationships, or life in general? Catch up on your zzz's — it may impact how much you eat per day, says new research from the Mayo Clinic. 

Researchers studied 17 people's dining and sleeping habits, and then cut half the participants' hours of sleep by one-third. The results: They found that those who slept just 1.5 hour less than their peers ate about 550 more calories per day. So not only is sleep deprivation linked to stroke, heart disease, and diabetes, it's now linked to weight gain.

The lack of sleep, researchers say, increased leptin levels (which supress hunger) and decreased ghretin levels (which signal hunger) were found in the sleep-deprived participants, a surprising result. However, despite the perceptions, they say more research is needed to prove the link between obesity and lack of sleep, as "the proof is not present." Good thing there are foods that can actually help you fall asleep.