Staying up late to try to get a lot done? You could be harming your weight loss efforts, a new study shows. Researchers at Northwestern University have studied the cumulative effects of lack of sleep on 52 adults. More than half of those who participated in the study had normal sleep habits, defined by the study as the midpoint of sleep occurring before 5:30 a.m. The remainder of those in the study got less sleep and went to sleep later overall.
The study, published online in the journal Obesity, found that those who went to bed later ate more junk food, ate less fruit and vegetables and drank more full calorie soda. The late sleepers ate much less at their morning meal, and their calorie intake skyrocketed as the day went on. They consumed more calories overall at their evening meal than those participants who went to bed earlier. The research didn’t prove the reason behind these choices, however. did the late sleepers eat more junk food because their choices were limited, or because of their preference?
In my own experience, staying up late has indeed lead to poor food choices, and often to eating more as well. Especially if I am working late, I will often use food to stay awake and keep my mind alert. It becomes a vicious cycle, one that could be stopped by just getting myself to bed earlier.
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