Not Enough ZZZ's

I've experienced a lack of sleep this week  - not the norm for me - and I have noticed that it has affected my energy, ability to focus, appetite,  and generally my whole well-being.  I decided to do some research on the effects of sleep on weight loss/gain.   What I found was both enlightening as well as an affirmation as to why I felt the way I did.

I read several articles, but found this one to be the most informative and comprehensive:

http://www.webmd.com/diet/features/lose-weight-while-sleeping

One concern I had was why I felt hungry throughout much of the day.  I had a large veggie omelet (with one whole egg and two fat-free eggs) for breakfast - and yet still felt hungry!  Normally, such a meal is quite filling and I can go easily for hours without feeling hungry.  However, this time, I felt hunger within two hours - and had to get busy in order not to focus on eating.  I could easily have gone on a eating binge - but I did stop myself from doing so by eating a few healthy snacks to curb my appetite- a banana, and then an oz. of almonds.   I did congratulate myself for not allowing myself to succumb to what would have been very detrimental for me. And believe me, I had visions of eating the type of foods that would have been calorie-laden!

Based on the experience I had with lack of sleep and the effects it had on my appetite, I found the following excerpt from the above article especially interesting! It gave me one of those enlightening "Aha!" moments!  

While doctors have long known that many hormones are affected by sleep, Rapoport says it wasn't until recently that appetite entered the picture. What brought it into focus, he says, was research on the hormones leptin and ghrelin. First, doctors say that both can influence our appetite. And studies show that production of both may be influenced by how much or how little we sleep.  In fact, have you ever experienced a sleepless night followed by a day when no matter what you ate you never felt full or satisfied? If so, then you have experienced the workings of leptin and ghrelin.

Leptin and ghrelin work in a kind of "checks and balances" system to control feelings of hunger and fullness, explains Michael Breus, PhD, a faculty member of the Atlanta School of Sleep Medicine and director of The Sleep Disorders Centers of Southeastern Lung Care in Atlanta. Ghrelin, which is produced in the gastrointestinal tract, stimulates appetite, while leptin, produced in fat cells, sends a signal to the brain when you are full.

So what's the connection to sleep? "When you don't get enough sleep, it drives leptin levels down, which means you don't feel as satisfied after you eat. Lack of sleep also causes ghrelin levels to rise, which means your appetite is stimulated, so you want more food," Breus tells WebMD.  The two combined, he says, can set the stage for overeating, which in turn may lead to weight gain.

Wow!   What a revelation that was to me! 

And that brings me to another realization - the more research I do, the more I learn about my journey!  

Oh, and needless to say, I will work on improving my sleep routine - and making sure I get at least 8 hours of sleep at night.