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Sleep is essential for maintaining optimal physical health. Evidence suggests that adults who don’t get enough sleep have a greater risk of developing many chronic diseases and tend to overeat. Findings from a recent study suggest that teens consume more sugar when they don’t get enough sleep.

Sleep patterns change markedly during the adolescent years, driven by shifts in circadian rhythms and subsequent sleep latency – the tendency to fall asleep later in the evening than adults or young children. Social and behavioral factors play roles, as well, as teens often participate in evening social events and exert autonomy over their bedtimes. Consequently, most teens get fewer than the recommended eight hours of sleep per night.

The study involved 93 healthy adolescents between the ages of 14 and 17 years. The participants experienced two sleep conditions, each lasting five nights. In the “healthy sleep” condition, they had 9.5 hours of sleep opportunity; during the “short sleep” condition, they had 6.5 hours of sleep opportunity. The participants wore sleep trackers and provided information about the types, quantities, and timing of foods they ate while experiencing each sleep condition.

The trackers revealed that, on average, the participants slept more than two hours longer when they experienced the healthy sleep condition. When participants experienced the short sleep condition, they tended to consume more carbohydrates, added sugars, and sweet drinks, and fewer fruits and vegetables than when they experienced the healthy sleep condition. The increase in added sugars was particularly concerning, because added sugars are associated with weight gain. Interestingly, the patterns of higher consumption emerged late at night – after 9 p.m.

These findings suggest that teens who don’t get enough sleep consume more sugars late at night, potentially promoting weight gain and driving other health problems, such as obesity or diabetes. Learn more about the harmful effects of eating sugars in this podcast featuring Dr. Rhonda Patrick.

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