Common Key to Sleepless Nights Revealed; Ballwin Reacts

Does that candy bar look so much better when your night's sleep was cut short, or are you having deprivation delusions?

According to two studies presented at the Associated Professional Sleep Societies meeting in Boston this week. HealthDay News reported some interesting findings.

In one, researchers found that reward and motivation centers in the brain were activated when participants saw pictures of unhealthy food in a sleep-deprived state, as opposed to no activation with pictures of healthy food or office supplies.

MRI brain scans were taken of 25 normal-weight men and women, while being shown the food/office supply pictures. 

The study was conducted by Marie-Pierre St-Onge, a research associate at St. Luke's Roosevelt Hospital Center and an assistant professor at Columbia University's Institute of Human Nutrition in New York City.

Another study presented by University of California, Berkeley, at the conference found no difference in activation in reward centers in tired people, but did find deficiencies in the frontal lobe, in an area where behavior control and complex decision making take place. This could lead to problems choosing healthier foods when sleepy.

Although the studies were presenting in an initial meeting and haven't been peer-reviewed to confirm the studies' reliability, the news didn't come as a shock to Ballwinites shopping at a local grocery store Sunday evening. 

"Well, I don't find it the least bit surprising," said Karla Taylor, 43, of Ballwin, laughing. "I just may have some ice cream in my bag, and I would say I'm sleep deprived."

It may not help, as well, that grocery stores are known to place items on shelves to also activate pleasure centers. Flowers at the door, bakery items up front, and eggs in the back -- these are all meant to light up your brain. Add that with the lowered guard from lack of sleep, and you could be in double trouble when making food-purchasing choices. 

So say you avoid grocery shopping when sleepy- and you picked up a box of cookies. You aren't home free from your tired temptations yet. Add the comfort to your home and night lighting, and the ease of a walk to the cabinet, and a late-night snack could be all the more likely.

"Oh man, I'm notorious for that," said Spencer Greith, 37, of Ballwin. "My wife has threatened to put a lock on the door of the refrigerator. For some reason, I like cheese spread at night."

Such behavior could be a sign of a disorder called Night Eating Syndrome, or a sign you just need to get better rest. 

"I feel like its a bad cycle, like, I can't sleep and then I eat junk to make me crash or something," said Kyle Marks, 23, of Ellisville. "It doesn't help that I have school and work to deal with."

Marks' dilemma is a common one. Stress produces hormones that keep us awake, a throwback to days where to stay alive you may have to stay awake until a predator moved on. 

WebMD offers some tips for people suffering from loss of sleep due to stress. Identify stressors and creating healthy outlets are key.