Have you ever reached for a bag of chips after a restless night of sleep? Science can help explain why your brain feels more inclined to go on a junk food binge after not getting enough ZZZs.
A recent study from Northwestern University found that it’s not just sugar or salt—people crave more calorie-dense foods when they are low on sleep. [1] i Furthermore, researchers have started to figure out both how and why this occurs—and exactly what people can do to combat it. [2-8]
Here’s how the Northwestern study worked: Among the 29 participants, half acted as a control group, getting a normal night’s rest. The other half could only sleep four hours each night. Halfway through the study, the groups were reversed, so the data would be more thorough and complete. Researchers then noted the foods that each group tended to eat the following day.
Interestingly, the study found that participants changed their food choices depending on how much sleep they received. The sleep deprived group gravitated toward calorie-dense foods like doughnuts, chocolate chip cookies, and potato chips, while those who slept well made much healthier choices.
While scientists are still unsure exactly why this is, they hypothesize that certain brain areas may not get the energy they need when they are sleep deprived—causing your brain to compensate by craving calorie-dense foods. [9-15] Unfortunately, these foods also tend to be low in nutrients.
Something similar might be happening when we crave more coffee than usual after a poor night of sleep. A similar mechanism may be at play when poor sleep leads to junk food cravings. [16-23]
It’s important to remember that everyone is different. Some people have a greater genetic predisposition to eating junk food, whether sleep deprived or not. [24-26]
Furthermore, cravings are a complex process that is hard-wired in your brain—it’s not about self-control. [27-32] For example, some people have a tendency to crave chocolate. Chocolate cravers will have all sorts of activity in the frontal part of their brain when presented with chocolate—compared to almost no activity in non-cravers [33-36]
This genetic and biological variability is likely at play with those who sleep less, but further research is needed. [37-40] The authors of this latest study noted that, “Past research shows sleep deprivation increases certain endocannabinoids, which are naturally produced by the body and are important for feeding behavior and how the brain responds to odors, including food smells.”
Research suggests that just about everything goes haywire with our brain and bodies when we don’t get enough rest—the importance of sleep can’t be overstated. Thus, it is not surprising that our eating patterns would also be impacted. [41] xli    
This leads to one of the most important benefits of eating a healthy Paleo Diet®—brain health. When you eat real foods, your brain and your hormones will function more efficiently. This is because eating a healthy diet helps keep the pleasure center of your brain under control, reducing cravings while keeping energy levels stable.
That means that, regardless of whether you have a restless night of sleep, you’ll be set up for a healthier day ahead.
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Dr. Loren Cordain’s final graduate student, Trevor Connor, M.S., brings more than a decade of nutrition and physiology expertise to spearhead the new Paleo Diet team.
One of the original members of the Paleo movement, Mark J. Smith, Ph.D., has spent nearly 30 years advocating for the benefits of Paleo nutrition.
Ironman athlete, mom, author, and nutrition blogger Nell Stephenson has been an influential member of the Paleo movement for over a decade.
As a professor at Colorado State University, Dr. Loren Cordain developed The Paleo Diet® through decades of research and collaboration with fellow scientists around the world.
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