The Hidden Factor Behind Your Eating Struggles (That No One Talks About)
No one tells you about this when it comes to appetite, cravings and eating habits…
When struggling with eating challenges, the focus is often placed entirely on food—what you’re eating, how much, and whether it fits into a plan. For many, this focus is tied to concerns about weight, reinforcing a cycle of restriction, overeating, and guilt. But what if there were other key factor at play?
Sleep plays a vital role in regulating your hunger, cravings, and decision-making around food. Poor sleep disrupts the hormones that control your appetite, making you more likely to crave high-calorie foods and struggle with self-control. At the same time, erratic eating patterns such as skipping meals or eating too close to bedtime, can impair sleep quality, creating a cycle that keeps you stuck in unhelpful patterns.
The good news? By shifting the focus away from weight and rigid food rules, and instead looking at deeper factors like sleep, you can start to break free from these patterns. I explore these key factors in my book The Binge Freedom Method. Small, sustainable adjustments to your sleep and eating habits can make a significant difference. Not just to how you eat, but for your overall well-being.
The Hormone Connection
Recent studies continue to support the link between sleep deprivation and hormonal imbalances affecting appetite. Sleep loss has been associated with increased levels of ghrelin (which stimulates appetite) and decreased levels of leptin (which suppresses appetite), leading to increased hunger and cravings for less helpful foods.
Psychological Impact
The interplay between sleep quality and psychological well-being remains a critical area of study. Poor sleep can impair cognitive functions such as decision-making and self-control, potentially leading to unhealthy eating behaviours. Conversely, chronic stress and negative thoughts about food or body image can disrupt sleep, creating a cyclical pattern that negatively impacts your mental health and dietary habits. Recent findings also highlight that evening activities, such as ‘doomscrolling’ or checking work emails, can exacerbate night time anxiety, further disrupting sleep.
Five Tips for a Good Night’s Sleep
1. Eat Enough: Ensure you consume balanced meals rich in fibre, protein, and healthy fats throughout the day to stabilize blood glucose levels and prevent night time hunger.
2. Embrace Outdoor Time and Daily Movement: spend time outdoors to support your body's natural sleep-wake cycle.
3. Set Up a Sleep-Friendly Environment: Limit exposure to screens and bright lights in the evening to reduce blue light exposure, which can interfere with melatonin production and sleep quality.
4. Keep to a Consistent Sleep Routine: Maintain regular sleep and wake times, even on weekends, to regulate your body's internal clock.
5. Minimise Alcohol and Caffeine Intake: Limit alcohol and caffeine especially in the hours leading up to bedtime, as they can disrupt sleep patterns.
Other Considerations
~A recent scientific review suggests that probiotics found in fermented foods like yogurt and miso may promote better sleep by helping individuals fall asleep quicker, stay asleep longer, achieve deeper sleep, experience fewer awakenings, and feel more alert in the morning.
~New research indicates that blue light exposure during the daytime can significantly improve sleep quality for older adults, aiding quicker sleep onset and deeper restorative sleep. However, evening exposure to blue light can result in poorer sleep quality and increased restlessness.
Support Your journey…
For a deeper dive into overcoming disordered eating and finding balance, my best selling book The Binge Freedom Method™ provides a comprehensive, science-backed framework to help you build a healthier relationship with food and your body. It offers practical steps, real-life strategies, and support for breaking free from binge eating and diet culture for good. You can learn more about it HERE.
Breaking the Cycle Starter Kit: This free resource is designed to help you take the first steps toward food freedom. Inside, you’ll find actionable strategies to begin shifting your mindset, manage cravings, and stop the binge-restrict cycle in its tracks.
Download it HERE ******
Join the Food Freedom Collective: This FREE supportive Facebook community is a safe space where you can feel safe with others who understand what you’re going through. I am in the group to answer your questions and support you every step of the way.
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