Decreasing sugar in your diet is a healthy choice, but you might be sabotaging your own efforts by staying up late. If you want to reduce your sugar intake, it’s best to get a good night’s sleep. It might just prevent you from eating too many sweet foods during the day.
Why Sleep Makes You Eat More Sugar
A study examined the sleep patterns of teenagers over five nights. There were two groups, one which slept for 6.5 hours, and another that slept for nine hours straight. Interestingly, after sleeping, the teens consumed the same amount of calories.
What differed between the groups was what they ate. The group that slept less would crave more carbohydrates and sugary foods to boost their energy levels. They wanted to combat the daytime sleepiness they were feeling due to sleep deprivation. In that respect, sugar is a very effective tool.
Adults followed a similar pattern. Those who were sleep-deprived would consume more sugar during the day just to stay awake. The chances of them doing so were 21% higher than those who slept more than five hours.
Thus, it’s safe to say that late nights will only encourage you to consume more sugar after you get up. For that reason, you should get regular and restful sleep.
Always Get Enough Rest
First, it’s more important to establish a proper sleep schedule. Once you do so, that’s when you can start reducing your sugar intake. Your chances of meeting your goals will significantly increase as a result.
