Having a bad night’s sleep leads people to consume, on average, an extra 385 calories – equivalent to about four slices of bread – the following day, scientists at King’s College London have discovered. The study, a re-analysis of previous research into the effects of poor sleep, defined a bad night as one with less than five-and-a-half hours’ sleep, and a normal night as seven or more hours. The researchers suspect that sleep deprivation affects the body’s ability to regulate the production of hormones such as ghrelin and leptin, which control feelings of hunger and fullness respectively. “If long-term sleep deprivation continues to result in an increased calorie intake of this magnitude, it may contribute to weight gain,” said senior study author Dr Gerda Pot. (reported in The Week).
So the answer seems to be, yes it can make you fat. The way to combat sleep deprivation, not to mention weight gain, is exercise – in Epicurean moderation, of course. After sleepless nights a visit to the gym, for instance, is a good way of surviving the day feeling reasonably normal. With no strenuous exercise one can feel weary and out of it all day. I know of no scientific studies into the effects of exercise on sleep deprivation, but can attest to this myself.
If this is true than the reverse must be true as well: having a lot of sleep makes you slimmer. Ever since I was a baby, I’ve always needed a lot of sleep. If I go to bed late, I need a big lie in the following day. This would help explain why I’m also underweight, despite eating a decent amount of fatty food.
Its also true that if you are awake for longer, you body feels exerted, so it demands that you eat more to compensate. Whereas if I wake up at midday (which I do at weekends) I can do with only two meals a day and a snack late in the evening.
On a related health topic, I would suggest that the quality of fat you consume is as important as the quantity. Vegetable or fish oil is better than no oil at all. Its the animal fats that ought to be kept down.