If you’re struggling with junk food cravings, it’s time to create a solid plan to ditch those unhealthy desires. This addictive response to junk food can be difficult to shake, so it’s essential to understand and consider the root cause of this unfortunate habit. Regardless of the reason, there is a solution to help you get on the path to a healthier lifestyle.
Before you dive into a solution to your junk food obsession, try to identify why you crave it in the first place. What deeper emotional reasons might be driving your seemingly never-ending cravings for chips, cookies, and chocolate? It could be stress, lack of time, boredom, or perhaps something else entirely. By recognizing the cause of your cravings, you can find a solution accordingly. For example, if your office is causing you stress, you can learn to cope with it in healthier ways.
Influence of REM sleep
The key to beating your junk food cravings might be hiding in an unexpected place: your bedroom. Recent research from the University of Tsukuba’s International Institute for Integrative Sleep Medicine revealed a direct connection between a lack of REM sleep and an increased desire for junk food. Their studies showed that mice that had been deprived of REM sleep were more drawn to foods containing high amounts of fat and sugar.
What’s the reason? It all comes down to the prefrontal cortex, the part of your brain responsible for regulating sleep and determining food preferences. Obesity, for example, can cause increased prefrontal cortex activity when presented with high-calorie foods. In the same way, sleep deprivation can negatively impact the prefrontal cortex and prompt more junk food cravings.
Sleep your way to healthier choices
If you think that lack of quality sleep may be the primary reason behind your junk food cravings, improving your sleep might be the key to a healthier lifestyle. Here are some valuable tips to help you get more REM sleep:
- Avoid alcohol: Consuming alcohol at night can negatively affect REM sleep duration.
- Skip sleep aids: Over-the-counter and prescription sleep aids can also limit your REM sleep. Instead, choose melatonin supplements, which can improve REM sleep quality.
- Optimize bedroom temperature: Maintaining the ideal temperature within your bedroom ensures the best sleeping conditions, which can promote quality REM sleep. The optimal sleeping temperature is between 60 and 67 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Sleep more: Increasing your sleep duration by 90 minutes can encourage an extra sleep cycle, which should provide you with more REM sleep. While not possible every night, try to sleep longer at least a couple of times per week.
Take control of your sleep by adopting these helpful practices, and notice how it can positively affect your cravings and food choices. Sleep deprivation is a common problem, but thankfully, it’s a solvable one. By adjusting your sleep habits, you’ll be better equipped to kick those unhealthy junk food cravings and embrace a healthier lifestyle.
