NEW STUDY: Why Lack of Sleep Makes You Fat

A good night’s sleep won’t just help you look more attractive—it’ll also help you stay lean.

New research from the annual SLEEP conference suggests that people who are even slightly sleep deprived could be more likely to binge on high-calorie foods during the day.

The researchers took brain scans of 12 men and women as they looked at pictures of junk food (ice cream cones, cheeseburgers, and French fries) and images of healthy foods (salads, fruits, and vegetables).

The finding: When viewing pictures of high-calorie foods, people who were the sleepiest had the least activity in a part of the brain called the prefrontal cortex.

The prefrontal cortex is the body’s “braking system,” explains study author William Killgore, Ph.D. It slows down the response times so people don’t make snap decisions.

“Our results suggest that this braking system might not be as responsive in people who are sleepy during the day,” Killgore says. In other words, “It may not prevent you from eating inappropriate foods or eating more than you should.” (Related from MensHealth.com: 10 Strategies for Successful Weight Loss.)

So how do you keep the brakes on when you want to nod off? The answer could be as simple as getting enough sleep, he says. Admittedly, that’s becoming increasingly difficult for most of America, where the average person now sleeps less than 7 hours a night. If you have trouble falling asleep, pop 0.3 milligrams of melatonin—the body's sleep hormone—half an hour before bedtime. Research from MIT has found that this can help you fall asleep faster.

For more suggestions on how to get a good night’s sleep, read 7 Steps to More ZZZs.

“You always think you can take extra time off of sleep to stay up late, watch TV, get to work early, but it’s taking a toll on our bodies,” Killgore says. “By not getting enough sleep, we may actually be putting ourselves at risk for gaining weight.”

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