Study: Sleep Deprivation Can Give You the “Marijuana Munchies"

If you've pulled an all-nighter studying and found yourself mindlessly shoving crunchy, sugary snacks into your mouth, then maybe you don't think this study needed the funding. March is Sleep Awareness Month, and a new study published in the journal Sleep is reminding us that the effects of crummy sleeping habits are more widespread than many of us think. In the small study out of the University of Chicago, men and women were fed the exact same meals on 7.5 hours of sleep and 4.5 hours of sleep. The sleepier group didn't just reports higher levels of hunger, which many other studies have confirmed. Their blood tests showed higher levels of a hormone called endocannabinoid 2-arachidonoylglycerol, or 2-AG. Notice anything familiar in that first word? 2-AG is a chemical signal that impacts appetite and it this endocannibinoid is also stimulated by smoking cannabis – leading to the famous marijuana munchies. "They had a stronger desire to eat and thought they could eat more," said the study's lead author, and when given access to a buffet, they ate nearly twice as much fat as when they had slept for eight hours.

Someone forward you this email? No Sweat! Sign up here to get your own If you're having trouble viewing this email, click here Follow Us Study: Sleep Deprivation Can Give You the "Marijuana Munchies" If you’ve pulled an all-nighter studying and found yourself mindlessly shoving crunchy, sugary snacks into your mouth, then maybe you don’t think this study needed the funding. March is Sleep Awareness Month, and a new study published in the journal Sleep is reminding us that the effects of crummy sleeping habits are more widespread than many of us think. In the small study out of the University of Chicago, men and women were fed the exact same meals on 7.5 hours of sleep and 4.5 hours of sleep. The sleepier group didn’t just report higher levels of hunger, which many other studies have confirmed. Their blood tests showed higher levels of a hormone called endocannabinoid 2-arachidonoylglycerol, or 2-AG. Notice anything familiar in that first word? 2-AG is a chemical signal that impacts appetite and this endocannibinoid is also stimulated by smoking cannabis – leading to the famous marijuana munchies.  “They had a stronger desire to eat and thought they could eat more,” said the study’s lead author, and when given access to a buffet, the tired subjects ate nearly twice as much fat as when they had slept for eight hours. Nicholas English Content Manager of About.com Health This Is the Hormone That Gives Insomniacs a Bigger Appetite – And Other Problems READ NOW The Truth About Weed and Working Out    READ NOW 3 Surprising Consequences of a Bad Night's Sleep    READ NOW All the Insomnia Solutions You Haven't Even Thought Of – There's One for You! READ NOW Trending Now • Infographic: Type 1 Diabetes By the Numbers • 8 Things You Should Know About Grandfathered Health Plans • The Antidote for Winter Weight Gain • What About Occupational Therapy for People With Autism? • What Most People Miss About Medicare Site Neutral Payments • Benadryl and Surgery: The Need-to-Know • So How Much Protein Do I Need? Advertisement About Health  |  Follow Us You are receiving this newsletter because you subscribed to the About Health newsletter. If you wish to unsubscribe, please click here 1500 Broadway, 6th Floor, New York, NY, 10036 © 2016 About.com - All rights reserved. Privacy Policy.