Sleep Deprivation and Junk Food

Here is an article about research showing that participants were more likely to respond to images of junk food when sleep deprived. When the participants slept 9 hours, they did not respond more to junk food. The researchers conclude that sleep deprivation may contribute to poor eating habits, perhaps as a way to increase energy. This study used powerful imaging technology to look at brain regions involved in reward, so there was no data on hormonal changes that may have impacted food type choice.