Sleep deprivation found to promote junk food

Getting enough slumber is one of the most important factors in living a healthy high school life. Although homework and tests often force students to stay awake, the importance of sleep was reemphasized with recent research.

Through a joint publication by the Sleep Research Society and the American Academy of Sleep Medicine, researchers have found that sleep deprivation is likely to lead to an increased appetite of unhealthy foods.

In addition, according to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), one in three U.S. adults are sleep deprived, with roughly the same percentage of adults obese.

Erin Hanlon, research associate at the University of Chicago, told CNN, “Evidence from laboratory and epidemiological studies has started to consistently associate insufficient sleep with an increased risk of obesity.”

The research group hypothesized that the lack of sleep disrupts the delicate balance between the nutrients consumed and the energy costs of staying awake.

Sophomore Luke Tenbarge said, “I think sleep is always the most important factor in leading a healthy and relaxed life.”

Previous research has connected many risk factors to insufficient sleep. This discovery futhered the previous claim on the importance of sleep and the negative results of a lack of it.

Hanlon said, “We are trying to get out awareness that people need to think of adequate sleep as an important aspect of maintaining good health.”