Craving carbs?...could be lack of sleep?

[Mbart]

I just read an article in the recent issue of Readers Digest (No, I'm not 65 and retired!), and there's an article that talks about sleep loss and, among other things, it's link to carbo craving. It sites research by Eve Van Cauter, a sleep researcher at the University of Chicago, who talks about a hormone, leptin, that tells the body when it should feel full. When you don't get enough sleep, she says, you have low leptin levels, and your body will crave carbohydrates even though you've had enough calories.

Anyone ever heard of this before? I'm just curious, as I do tend to crave carbos, particularily at night when I should just be going to bed, I suppose. But I'm not sleep deprived...I get a good 8 hrs/night.

Just curious if anyone else has input on craving carbs.

[JulieM]

That sounds like an interesting article that I will have to find and read. My DH craves carbs before bed, and he also wakes once or twice during the night and munches on carbs (crackers, cookies, bread, cereal, popcorn). Needless to say he has a weight problem. He eats healthy and in good portions all day until after dinner and that's his downfall.

I have read that eating carbohydrates releases something (serotonin?) that's supposed to help you sleep.

[Kristilyn1]

That is so interesting! Every night that I don't get enough sleep, I am EXTRA hungry the next day and the cravings are for totally worthless carbohydrates...white toast (no I don't buy white bread!) etc.

Interesting.

Kristi