Understanding food cravings and managing how you eat is not rocket science; it just needs awareness. It requires introspection about why our body craves certain foods at unexpected hours of the day. Listen to your body’s cues rather than giving in to guilt and self-defeating thoughts.

The key is ascertaining whether it stems from unmet emotional needs, stress, or a nutritional deficiency. Moreover, there could be many other reasons why you’re unable to curb this impulse. One such factor could be sleep deprivation or unhealthy sleep habits.

Take a few minutes to reflect on your sleep schedule and how you approach rest. Do you wake up feeling well-rested, or are you chronically exhausted no matter how much you sleep? For those who can relate to the latter, here’s an interesting fact: several studies show your sleep quality dictates your food cravings.

To provide further clarity, let’s understand two essential hormones involved in the process of food consumption first.

While these terms aren’t heard of often, they play a critical role in keeping us healthy and energised. Your body receives signals from two hormones called ghrelin and leptin. While ghrelin acts like the “low fuel, I’m hungry” switch, leptin is the sign to “there’s enough fuel saved, I’m full” and to stop eating. Moreover, ghrelin plays a powerful role in short-term appetite control, while leptin is necessary for long-term weight management.

What’s the connection between these hormones and your sleep quality? Well, research has shown how sleep deprivation can lead to an overproduction of ghrelin, leading to impulsive eating. Additionally, the secretion of leptin experiences a dysregulation, essentially breaking the “stop eating” switch. This is why you give in to midnight food cravings and cannot stop eating, even though you know the consequences. Now, ‘why does better judgment not interfere?’, you may think.

Lack of sleep affects the brain’s ability to make sound choices, especially in high-level zones like the prefrontal cortex. Additionally, it increases the amygdala’s response to food, making high-calorie foods more appealing. The amygdala, an ancient part of the brain, puts us in survival mode when we’re sleep-deprived, making food choices feel urgent.

Craving high-calorie foods and poor decision-making helps explain why people who don’t get enough sleep often gain weight. To add to this, unhealthy lifestyle habits can snowball unhealthy food cravings into health complications. As a result, you’re more susceptible to illnesses like eating disorders, obesity, type-2 diabetes, and cardiovascular diseases.

So, how do we break this vicious cycle to experience a healthier way of living? There are no such things as magic potions and fad diets that can get you on the path to your fitness goals when the basics are missing. Here are five tips that can help you get started:

Fix your sleep routine: Get into the habit of waking up and sleeping around the same time for at least five days a week. A 10-30 minute variance for flexibility is all right. However, try not to extend bedtime by over an hour as such habits can induce late-night food cravings. If you’re experiencing disordered conditions like insomnia, interrupted sleep, or racing thoughts, try natural remedies like chamomile tea and gentle stretches to activate your parasympathetic (rest and digest) nervous system.

Eat an early but nourishing meal: Soups and salads make healthy meals, but you’re bound to feel hungry within an hour since they’re not filling. Use your discernment and eat a filling and wholesome dinner to prevent late-night hunger pangs that disrupt your sleep cycle.

Wean off gadgets before bedtime: Scrolling on social media and watching food videos before bedtime can activate your hunger hormones and induce food cravings. Plus, blue lights from screens can disrupt sleep-inducing melatonin production. Create a bedtime ritual where you turn off your gadgets at least an hour before bedtime.

Be mindful of carb consumption later in the day: Consuming carbohydrate-rich foods later in the day will make you crave more of them. Instead, curate balanced meals with adequate proteins, carbs, fibres, and essential vitamins that provide deep cellular nutrition.

Work with your body’s needs rather than fighting its natural cues: This can work wonders for your health and fat-loss journey. Quality sleep must be a priority to support your health and wellness for decades to come. It is non-negotiable.