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It\u2019s 3 p.m. on a Tuesday and you\u2019d do anything for a donut\u2026 with chocolate filling\u2026 and those rainbow sprinkles on top. Are you hungry<\/a>? Bored? You may just have a case of the \u201csleep munchies.\u201d According to a study<\/a>, a lack of zzz\u2019s stokes your appetite just like marijuana might. Seriously! When you don\u2019t get enough shut-eye, your brain lights up with the same chemicals that cause stoners to giggle over Funyuns and chomp on Twinkies.<\/p>\n RELATED: <\/strong>Can\u2019t Sleep? Your Guide to a Better Night\u2019s Rest<\/a><\/p>\n While sleep deprivation has long been linked to overeating and weight gain<\/a>, researchers at the University of Chicago were able to link it to endocannabinoids, our bodies\u2019 version of THC, marijuana\u2019s active component. Like THC, this chemical can make you want to eat \u201csuper-palatable foods\u201d that are high in fat, sugar and salt<\/a>, says lead author Erin C. Hanlon, Ph.D., Assistant Professor of Endocrinology at the university\u2019s Sleep, Metabolism and Health Center. In fact, getting just 4.5 hours of sleep could mean 33 percent more endocannabinoids than are present after a restful eight-and-a-half hours of sleep. In the study, that resulted in eating double<\/em> the amount of fat and 46 percent more calories (despite eating a dinner that met 90 percent of their daily caloric requirements only two hours before the snacking session commenced). Yikes!<\/p>\n And if you have just one sleepless night, it could influence your food choices the next day. In Mayo Clinic study<\/a>, people who cut 80 minutes from their regular<\/em> sleep schedule ended up eating an extra 549 calories the next day. \u201cIf we had enrolled participants that usually slept six to six and a half hours a night, we may have seen different effects,\u201d Hanlon says.<\/p>\n RELATED: <\/strong>Low-Calorie Foods\u00a0That Will Actually Fill You Up<\/a><\/p>\n No, not everyone can hit eight-and-a-half hours of sleep each night just to keep that appetite in check. And not everyone has to, Hanlon says. \u201cThe National Sleep Foundation suggests that adults get between seven and nine hours a night,\u201d she says. Didn\u2019t get your personal Rx for shuteye last night? Here\u2019s how to cope if you\u2019ve feel a case of the sleep munchies coming on.<\/p>\n 1. Assess your plate.<\/strong> Even if you know that you run best on, let\u2019s say, seven and a half hours of sleep, does that mean that you\u2019re always<\/em> going to hit the mark? Nope. If you had a less-than-stellar night of sleep, \u201canticipate your extra appetite boost and head it off by planning on extra large portions of vegetables, staying fully hydrated, and ensuring you get a lean protein source with each meal to aid in satiety,\u201d says Georgie Fear, R.D., author of Lean Habits for Lifelong Weight Loss<\/em><\/a>. You\u2019ll want at least 30 percent of your calories for each meal to come from protein<\/a>, says Fear, and fill up half your plate with veggies. (That means less pasta and more broccoli, folks.)<\/p>\n 2. Stock your desk drawers.<\/strong> Healthy snacks on hand can help beat cravings before the munchies hit. Find yourself jonesing for some sweets? Appease your taste buds with natural sugars from fruit<\/a> instead of those from high-octane sweets like candy and cookies, she says. (When your body is low on energy, it naturally craves high-sugar foods for a quick hit of energy.)<\/p>\n 3. Seek out healthy fats. <\/strong>Odds are good that your body\u2019s going to crave high fat foods in addition to sugary snacks. In the University of Chicago study, participants rated their cravings for high-carb and high-fat foods like those to be the highest, Hanlon says. Call it your taste buds seeking out energy for your sleep-starved body. FYI, if you\u2019re all about fatty foods when you\u2019re sleepy, try focusing on whole sources like avocados and even Greek yogurt over deep fried everything, Fear says.<\/p>\nLow on Sleep? Your “Munchies”\u00a0Action Plan<\/strong><\/h3>\n