"You are what you eat" may be a cliche, but it represents the fact that nutrition serves as a backbone for health, providing the energy we require as well as other inputs necessary for appropriate body function. Many individuals are aware of the links between diet and obesity, diabetes, and heart health, but few are aware that their diet can also impair sleep. Sleep is required for optimal physiological functioning. It allows the brain and body to relax and recover, and a rising body of data supports its significance in adequate nutrition and body weight management. As a general rule, a well-balanced diet consisting primarily of a range of vegetables and fruits can supply the needed daily consumption of vitamins and nutrients, resulting in better sleep and weight management.

Nutrition plays a crucial function in ensuring a sufficient supply of vitamins and minerals to support practically all body systems and processes. Multiple studies have linked insufficient sleep to an increased risk of obesity. Sleep deprivation has also been linked to a larger waist circumference, which is a concerning sign of a variety of cardiovascular issues. Sleep's impact on weight and body composition could be linked to its impact on hunger and nutrition. People who don't get enough sleep are more likely to increase their food consumption without increasing their energy expenditure, according to multiple studies. Worse, sleep deprivation appears to trigger a preference for high-calorie foods, which provide less nutritional benefit and increase the risk of weight gain.

Sleep allows the body and brain to rebuild and recuperate, influencing nearly all of the body's tissues. Sleep deprivation may disrupt hunger-regulating hormones, causing you to eat more frequently and it increases your cravings for foods heavy in added sugar, fat, and sodium. Excessive consumption of these nutrients raises the chance of getting diabetes, heart disease, and cancer. And even after short durations of insufficient sleep, the normal production of leptin and ghrelin, hormones that help control appetite and hunger, is disrupted. A lack of sleep may also affect other chemicals in the brain that help guide eating decisions. Furthermore, sleep has been shown to affect focus, decision-making, and mood, all of which can influence the foods we eat on a regular basis.

If you continue to work without getting enough sleep, you may develop more serious long-term health issues. High blood pressure, diabetes, heart attack, heart failure, and stroke are some of the most serious potential consequences of prolonged sleep deprivation. Obesity, depression, a weakened immune system, and a lack of sexual desire are all possible side effects. Sleep deprivation can also have a negative impact on your appearance. It might cause premature wrinkles and dark circles beneath your eyes over time. There's also a correlation between not getting enough sleep and an increase in the stress hormone cortisol in your system. Collagen, the protein that makes skin smooth, can be broken down by cortisol. In other words, not getting enough sleep may result in extra wrinkles!

Sleep is essential for our health, yet many of us don't get enough of it. We always advocate a healthy diet and exercise to everyone, but we also recommend getting enough sleep. We must prioritize sleep.

PDO I Ayesa Gay A. Bejerano, RND

References:

Nutrition and Sleep

https://www.sleepfoundation.org/nutrition

How does sleep affect my eating habits?

https://www.gundersenhealth.org/health-wellness/eat/how-does-sleep-affect-my-eating-habits/

Here’s What Happens When you don’t get enough sleep (and how much you really need a night)

https://health.clevelandclinic.org/happens-body-dont-get-enough-sleep/