Study Finds Out Why Sleep Deprivation Can Lead To Weight Gain

German researchers who investigated the possible link between short term sleep deprivation and weight gain have found that sleep-deprived people eat more calories because they are hungrier. They also tend to burn fewer calories because physical activity is reduced. Both phenomena increase the risk of weight gain. Sleep deprivation increased feelings of hunger and raised the amount of the "hunger hormone" ghrelin detected in their blood. After just one night of disrupted sleep volunteers moved around less, decreasing calorie burning, because they felt more tired. Lastly, staying awake for one whole night reduced the amount of energy used by the body when resting.