Sleep More, Eat Less

Studies abound showing that how much we sleep impacts how many calories we consume on average, with those short on sleep compensating during the day by eating more calories, especially empty calories. But a study in today's Time.com also proves the reverse, that how much we eat helps determine how much sleep we get. And, no surprise, short sleepers tend to overeat, which just causes disruptive sleep patterns to continue. Short sleepers are defined by those who get 5 or less hours a night; standard sleepers get up to 8 hours; and long sleepers somehow manage to stay asleep 9 or more hours. This is daily, not just when you're under the weather or overstressed.

Among the UPenn researchers' findings:

• Short sleepers consumed the most calories, followed by normal sleepers, then very short sleepers. Long sleepers consumed the least calories.
• Normal sleepers actually show the highest food variety in their diets; very short sleepers, the least. A varied diet with a balance of carbs, fats and proteins that come from natural sources, not fake foods, are a marker for good health.
• Very short sleepers drank less tap water and consumed fewer total carbohydrates and lycopene, found in red and orange-colored fruits and vegetables and high in cancer-fighting antioxidants.
• Short sleepers also drank less tap water and tended to eat less vitamin C and foods with selenium (like nuts, meat and shellfish). They were much better, however, at getting enough lutein from green, leafy veggies.
• Long sleepers consume less theobromine found in chocolate and tea, the saturated fat dodecanoic acid, choline found in eggs and fatty meats and total carbohydrates.
• Of course, that could be because long sleepers also drank more alcohol than those who stay awake more.

Source: Does Your Diet Influence Sleep