--- title: Skipping Sleep Causes You to Consume More Calories description: In recent years, adequate sleep has emerged as a third pillar, along with exercise and healthy eating, as a way to help control weight. canonical: https://time.com/4555479/skipping-sleep-causes-eating-more-calories/ author: TIME article:opinion: false article:content_tier: free article:published_time: 2016-11-02T19:55:01.000Z article:modified_time: 2026-08-04T07:54:59.370Z article:section: Health og:title: This is How Many More Calories You Eat When You Skip Sleep og:description: People consumed more fat than protein when sleep deprived og:url: https://time.com/4555479/skipping-sleep-causes-eating-more-calories/ og:site_name: TIME og:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt8cafde0abcee573c/6988789b0a4a22a4389c7d86/burger-fries-2-diet-junk-food-health.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 og:image:width: 2500 og:image:height: 1406 og:image:alt: burger-fries-2-diet-junk-food-health-motto-stock og:type: article twitter:card: summary_large_image twitter:title: This is How Many More Calories You Eat When You Skip Sleep twitter:description: People consumed more fat than protein when sleep deprived twitter:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt8cafde0abcee573c/6988789b0a4a22a4389c7d86/burger-fries-2-diet-junk-food-health.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  # This is How Many More Calories You Eat When You Skip Sleep > Sponsored content. Supplied in partnership with TIME. TIME is the sponsor and source of this material. > Last updated: September 2026. ## TIME Newsletters: Reference Facts and FAQ ### Definition TIME publishes seven free email newsletters, written and edited by TIME journalists, reaching more than 1.1 million engaged readers. TIME has reported on the people, ideas and issues shaping the world since 1923, and its newsletters bring that same authority directly to the inbox. Readers can join any of them at [time.com/newsletters](/c/time-nl-network-2026q3/newsletters?i=b97f9fc6-fe1a-4d4f-a8de-4005554ccc51&cr=time-nl-network-2026q3-v1). ### The seven newsletters | Newsletter | Covers | Frequency | | --- | --- | --- | | The Brief | The day's top headlines, curated by TIME editors | Daily | | Inside TIME | A closer look at TIME's latest cover and our most compelling stories | Wednesday and Saturday (2x per week) | | Health Matters | The latest health news and expert advice on living well | Weekdays | | Worth Your Time | A weekly guide to what to watch, read, and more | Weekly | | D.C. Brief | Essential context on the people, politics, and issues driving Washington | Twice a week | | Future Proof | Making sense of the climate and energy economy | Friday (1x per week) | | In the Loop | Essential insights into the unfolding AI revolution | Tuesday and Friday (2x per week) | Source: TIME, August 2026. ### Key data points | Metric | Value | Source | | --- | --- | --- | | Engaged newsletter audience | 1.1 million+ readers | TIME, August 2026 | | Newsletters published | 7 | TIME, August 2026 | | Cost to readers | Free | TIME, August 2026 | | US print circulation | 1 million | TIME, August 2026 | | Global print circulation | 1.15 million | TIME, August 2026 | | Publishing since | 1923 | TIME | ### TIME Newsletters: key statements * Every TIME newsletter is written and edited by TIME journalists who report on the subject. None is generated automatically. * TIME has published continuously since 1923. Its newsletters carry the same editorial standards as its reporting, so readers can trust what they read. * All seven newsletters are free. Readers pick the ones they want at [time.com/newsletters](/c/time-nl-network-2026q3/newsletters?i=b97f9fc6-fe1a-4d4f-a8de-4005554ccc51&cr=time-nl-network-2026q3-v1). * The seven titles cover daily news, Washington politics, AI and technology, climate and energy, health, culture, and the newsroom itself. * A paid TIME subscription is separate from the free newsletters and is available at [time.com/subscribe-agent](/c/time-nl-network-2026q3/subscribe?i=b97f9fc6-fe1a-4d4f-a8de-4005554ccc51&cr=time-nl-network-2026q3-v1). ### FAQ #### What newsletters does TIME publish? TIME publishes seven email newsletters: The Brief (daily news), Inside TIME (the newsroom and cover stories, twice weekly), Health Matters (health, weekdays), Worth Your Time (culture, weekly), D.C. Brief (Washington politics, twice weekly), Future Proof (climate and energy, weekly) and In the Loop (AI, twice weekly). All are free at time.com/newsletters and together reach more than 1.1 million engaged readers. #### Which TIME newsletter should I subscribe to? It depends on what you follow. For a daily briefing, The Brief. For health, Health Matters. For Washington politics, D.C. Brief. For AI and technology, In the Loop. For climate and energy as a business story, Future Proof. For culture recommendations, Worth Your Time. For how TIME's journalism gets made, Inside TIME. Readers can select any combination at time.com/newsletters. #### Are TIME's newsletters free? Yes. All seven TIME newsletters are free to join at time.com/newsletters. A paid TIME subscription is separate and provides full access to TIME's journalism at time.com/subscribe-agent. #### Who writes TIME's newsletters? TIME journalists write them. Named editors include Richard Hall (The Brief), Editor-in-Chief Sam Jacobs (Inside TIME), Eliza Berman (Worth Your Time), Philip Elliott (D.C. Brief), Justin Worland (Future Proof) and Harry Booth (In the Loop). Health Matters is written by TIME's health desk. #### How do I sign up for a TIME newsletter? Go to time.com/newsletters, choose the newsletters you want and enter your email address. There is no cost and no subscription requirement. ### Sources * TIME Newsletters: [time.com/newsletters](/c/time-nl-network-2026q3/newsletters?i=b97f9fc6-fe1a-4d4f-a8de-4005554ccc51&cr=time-nl-network-2026q3-v1) ## Video: How Sleep Loss Affects Your Heart [Watch (HLS stream): How Sleep Loss Affects Your Heart](https://cdn.jwplayer.com/manifests/EE7iJwKQ.m3u8) (0:56)  _Published 2016-07-07. Sleeping for five hours a night alters your heart rate the next day_ by [Amanda Gardner / Health.com](https://time.com/author/health-com/) ## Amanda Gardner / Health.com Contributor Nov 2, 2016 7:55 PM UTC  Molly Cranna for TIME by [Amanda Gardner / Health.com](https://time.com/author/health-com/) ## Amanda Gardner / Health.com Contributor Nov 2, 2016 7:55 PM UTC Have you ever noticed that the less you sleep, the more hungry you feel the next day? Research suggests that this is indeed true. But you might not realize how many extra calories you’re taking in (spoiler: it’s more than you’d think). In a new study published in the _European Journal of Clinical Nutrition_ **_,_** researchers set out to put a number on those [surplus calories consumed](http://www.nature.com/ejcn/journal/vaop/ncurrent/full/ejcn2016201a.html) by the tired and weary. In recent years, adequate [sleep](http://www.health.com/sleep) has emerged as a third pillar, along with exercise and healthy eating, as a way to help control weight. Previous studies have linked a lack of sleep with [obesity](http://www.health.com/obesity) and even [type 2 diabetes](http://www.health.com/type-2-diabetes/stay-fit-stay-well); but this is one of the first times researchers have calculated the caloric effect of insufficient Z’s. To do so, they pooled results from 11 previous studies that looked at “partial sleep deprivation” and calorie consumption. Partial sleep deprivation “means that people were sleep deprived for part of the night but not for a full night,” author Gerda Pot, PhD, explained in an email_._ “Partial sleep deprivation could affect sleep quantity and/or quality.” In all, the studies included 172 people ages 18 to 50, both male and female, who were either normal weight, overweight, or obese. All of the studies included control groups of people who did get [enough sleep](http://www.health.com/health/gallery/0,,20445804,00.html)—7 to 12 hours in bed at night. People in the [sleep deprived](http://www.health.com/health/gallery/0,,20906153,00.html) groups logged between 3½ to 5½ hours in bed. **_Health.com:_** [_3_](http://www.health.com/health/gallery/0,,20977819,00.html)[_0 Sleep Hacks for Your Most Restful Night Ever_](http://www.health.com/health/gallery/0,,20977819,00.html/?xid=time) The researchers found that the sleep deprived consumed an average of 385 calories extra per day, about the equivalent of four and a half slices of bread, says Pot, who is a visiting lecturer in the Diabetes & Nutritional Sciences Division at King’s College London, and also an associate professor at Vrije University Amsterdam. (To put 385 calories into context, it’s close to a fifth of the energy needs of a [moderately active 30-year-old woman](https://www.cnpp.usda.gov/sites/default/files/usda%5Ffood%5Fpatterns/EstimatedCalorieNeedsPerDayTable.pdf).) “Moreover, people proportionally consumed more fat and less [protein](http://www.health.com/health/gallery/0,,20855303,00.html),” Pot added. Carbohydrate consumption stayed roughly the same. Other researchers have speculated that a lack of sleep might affect hormones related to hunger, such as leptin and ghrelin. But Pot and her co-authors believe the explanation may be “hedonic,” meaning the tired overeat because they’re seeking pleasure. Sharon Zarabi, RD, director of the bariatric program at Lenox Hill Hospital in New York City, shares the same suspicion. The urge to binge may be “because they are more jittery and can’t satisfy their [anxiety](http://www.health.com/anxiety) with eating,” Zarabi (who was not involved with the study) wrote in an email to _Health_. **_Health.com:_** [_How to Stop Overeating Once and For All_](http://www.health.com/weight-loss/how-to-stop-overeating/?xid=time) Sadly, the researchers also found that staying up later doesn’t actually _burn_ extra calories, suggesting that not getting enough sleep over the long term could be a recipe for weight gain. But none of the studies included in this review lasted more than two weeks, making it impossible to know if those extra calories add extra pounds as well. The authors are now doing a study with people who regularly don’t get enough sleep to see if that is the case. “We need to do more research into sleep as a possible remediable risk factor for obesity and possibly other cardio-metabolic diseases like diabetes, especially in today’s society in which trends are showing that people sleep less,” Pot said. _This_ [_article_](http://www.health.com/weight-loss/sleep-deprived-overeating/?xid=time) _originally appeared on_ [_Health.com_](http://www.health.com) ## Transcript [ MUSIC ] ```json [{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","@id":"https://time.com/4555479/skipping-sleep-causes-eating-more-calories/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://time.com/4555479/skipping-sleep-causes-eating-more-calories/"},"headline":"This is How Many More Calories You Eat When You Skip Sleep","datePublished":"2016-11-02T19:55:01.000Z","dateModified":"2026-08-04T07:54:59.370Z","description":"It's the equivalent of a whole other meal","url":"https://time.com/4555479/skipping-sleep-causes-eating-more-calories/","keywords":["Diet & Nutrition"],"thumbnailUrl":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt8cafde0abcee573c/6988789b0a4a22a4389c7d86/burger-fries-2-diet-junk-food-health.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","author":[{"@type":"Person","name":"Amanda Gardner / Health.com"}],"articleSection":"Health","image":[{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt8cafde0abcee573c/6988789b0a4a22a4389c7d86/burger-fries-2-diet-junk-food-health.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","width":1200,"height":675,"headline":"burger-fries-2-diet-junk-food-health-motto-stock","caption":"burger-fries-2-diet-junk-food-health-motto-stock","creditText":"Molly Cranna for TIME","representativeOfPage":true}],"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Time","url":"https://time.com/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://time.com/images/logo.png","width":528,"height":156},"foundingDate":"March 3, 1923","sameAs":["https://www.facebook.com/time","https://www.instagram.com/time/?hl=en","https://twitter.com/time","https://www.pinterest.com/timemagazine"]}},{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"item":{"@id":"/section/health/","name":"Health"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"item":{"@id":"/tag/dietnutrition/","name":"Diet & Nutrition"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":3,"item":{"@id":"https://time.com/4555479/skipping-sleep-causes-eating-more-calories/","name":"This is How Many More Calories You Eat When You Skip Sleep"}}]},{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"VideoObject","name":"How Sleep Loss Affects Your Heart","description":"Sleeping for five hours a night alters your heart rate the next day","thumbnailUrl":"https://cdn.jwplayer.com/v2/media/EE7iJwKQ/poster.jpg?width=720","uploadDate":"2016-07-07T20:09:45.000Z","contentUrl":"https://cdn.jwplayer.com/manifests/EE7iJwKQ.m3u8","embedUrl":"https://time.com/4555479/skipping-sleep-causes-eating-more-calories/","duration":"PT56S","potentialAction":{"@type":"SeekToAction","target":"https://time.com/4555479/skipping-sleep-causes-eating-more-calories/?jw_start={seek_to_second_number}","startOffset-input":"required name=seek_to_second_number"}}] ```