| The Huffington Post- by Dr. Michael J. Breus Sunday, July 08, 2012 When you’re feeling run down, do you find yourself reaching for the cookie jar, or digging into a bag of potato chips? At the end of a long and tiring day, are you more likely to dig into a big bowl of ice cream, or help yourself to a second (or third) helping of takeout? According to the latest research, your lack of sleep — and your sleep-deprived brain — may be fueling your junk food habit. Two separate studies investigated the relationship between insufficient sleep and the ability to make healthy food choices. And both studies arrived at the same basic conclusion: Lack of sleep hinders our ability to make smart choices about food by causing changes to the way our brains function in areas of impulse control and decision-making. |