Not getting enough sleep may cause you to gain weight, lose your partner, eat more chocolate and yell at your boss, studies have discovered.
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The Associated Professional Sleep Societies in the US have found that feeling sleepy during the day lowers the ability to say no to rich, carbohydrate-heavy foods.
A group of 12 men and women aged between 19 and 45-years-old underwent functional MRI tests while looking at pictures of high-calorie foods and low-calorie foods.
Those who had higher levels of daytime drowsiness showed less activity in the region of the brain that is responsible for working out moral decisions and determining if something is good or bad.
Decreased activity in this area of grey matter, the prefrontal cortex of the brain, also meant that social controls and inhibitions are lowered.
Another study of 250 high school students also linked a case of "3.30-itis" to depression and an increase risk in diabetes.
Those who needed a power-nap in the afternoon had a 50 per cent higher chance of craving foods with high carbohydrates, like fast food and chocolate. Participants who were experiencing depression were nearly three times more likely to reach for high-calorie foods.
"The study is highlights the importance of diagnosing sleep deprivation as a risk factor for obesity among young adults," spokesman from the Robert Wood Johnson Medical School Mahmood Siddique said.
"Those who are depressed and sleep deprived may be at special risk for obesity."
Couples have more to be concerned about than expanding waistlines, as further results showed that a woman who is sleep deprived is at a higher risk of experiencing marital problems.
Assistant Professor of Psychiatry and Psychology at the University of Pittsburgh, Wendy Troxel studied the sleeping patterns of 35 couples over a 10-night period and was not surprised to find that women who lacked sleep generally had more negative interactions than men.
Interestingly, the study, which asked the couples the same eight questions for the duration of the survey, found male tiredness did not a have a negative impact on the relationship.
Health professionals recommend a minimum of eight hours of shut-eye a night in order to achieve the perfect weight, relationship and career. That does not take into account parenting responsibilities or the average working week of more than 40 hours.
Follow Jenna Clarke on Twitter @JennaMClarke
