The Dream Diet

How much sleep did you get last night? If you're like most of the people I know, your answer is likely to be "not enough!" Being chronically sleep-deprived has almost become a luxury we feel we can't afford. Many times I've heard people in an almost competitive banter about how busy they are and how little sleep they are trying to survive on.

I've been stuck in the sleep trap for a while. Trying to balance work, school functions, exercise, PTO meetings, soccer practices, housework, grocery shopping and cooking, not to mention those tantalizing computer activities (blogging!) has led me to shave time in the only area that I felt I had left – that seemingly supremely unproductive time when my eyes are closed.

But a small study in the March issue of American Journal of Clinical Nutrition has made me think that a quest to shave sleep from my schedule could be making me crave more than just coffee. This study found that when the researchers slashed the hours of sleep subjects were allowed (from 8 to 4), most subjects seemed to make up for the lost sleep by eating more. In fact, they found that they ate about 560 more calories in the 24-hour period after having their sleep restricted.

Why would the study participants eat more when sleep deprived? Perhaps it goes back to a simpler time, when increased daylight and subsequent decreased sleep used to coincide with summer, a time of year when we needed to be up and about, eating as much of the short-lived bounty as possible. Only now we've got artificial light sources, and the possibility of longer "days" all year round.

We've reported on research in the past looking at correlations between the amount of sleep children receive and their chances of being obese, so I'm starting to feel that slimming my sleep cycle may be plumping my waistline.

But what can I give up? I don't have much of a choice regarding work. Helping with school activities and homework are not really something I feel I have much flexibility on. And I don't think substituting takeout for home cooking is going to improve the situation. So what's left? Laundry? I don't think my co-workers would appreciate that option. Something's got to give. I have a feeling I'd better re-sort those priorities quickly, or I might end up looking for some give in my wardrobe as well.

—Erin Gudeux, sensory senior project leader

It's hard to fit in time for a good night's sleep, but our bodies and minds need it. Take a look at some myths about sleepand see our tips on how to get more of it.