“Leptin lets the body know when it’s full, while ghrelin signals hunger. Little sleep produces less leptin and more ghrelin—you’ll feel hungrier, but your body will be slower to react when you’re full. You end up eating more than you need to.
“Sleep deprivation increases stress. Less sleep triggers an increase in cortisol levels. Cortisol is a stress hormone responsible for holding onto energy (sugars and fat) to be used later. More stress means your body retains more fat.
“Your insulin levels are also affected. With a higher production of cortisol, your body is less sensitive to insulin.
“Insulin is a hormone that changes food into energy. Your body has a harder time processing fats from the bloodstream when it becomes less sensitive to insulin. These fats end up stored in the body, leading to weight gain.”
