You know the drill. You just closed a huge account at your office and immediately reach for a gluttonous reward like a rich fudge brownie. But how can you curb those junk food cravings after stressful situations?
The answer might be as simple as a good night’s sleep, according to new research. Workday stress was associated with a bad mood during work — thus prompting unhealthy eating at night, according to research co-author Yihao Liu, an assistant professor at the University of Illinois. The analysis was published in the Journal of Applied Psychology in April.
Researchers examined a total of 235 Chinese workers in two studies: one involving information technology workers with typically high workloads who felt they didn’t have enough time in their workday, and another with call center workers usually stressed by dealing with difficult customers.
Why the unhealthy eating? Liu said in a statement that there were two possible explanations for the behavior: the fact that eating can be used to “relieve and regulate one’s negative mood,” or that unhealthy eating could serve as “a consequence of diminished self-control.”
The sleep logic here aligns with many a study that a good night’s sleep may indeed be the answer to your problems.
“A good night’s sleep can make workers replenished and feel vigorous again, which may make them better able to deal with stress at work the next day and less vulnerable to unhealthy eating,” Chu-Hsiang “Daisy” Chang, research co-author and Michigan State University associate professor, said in a statement.
Companies can combat this issue by emphasizing health management with their employees in addition to possibly pursuing sleep awareness training and flexible work hours.
Something they could also pursue likely won’t make many an employee too happy: reconsidering food-related job perks, since they might only be helpful in the short-term. Failing to handle work stress could ultimately mean long-term negative health effects for employees, according to Chang.
As Entrepreneur points out, nap pods might be a more effective perk in terms of boosting morale.
Sleep tight, everyone.
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How Getting a Good Night’s Sleep Could Curb Your Junk Food Habit originally appeared on usnews.com
