Why is it that sometimes we go to sleep feeling hungry but in the morning that same feeling goes away?
In: Biology
Your body makes chemicals called hormones. Different hormones come out at different times of day. My anatomy prof used to refer to the “daytime cocktail” and the “nighttime cocktail”. The hormones at night help you rest (melatonin), regrow your muscle tissues (growth hormones), and digest the food left in your GI track. The daytime hormones are the ones that make you get up and feel energized (like cortisol, testosterone, adrenaline, thyroid stimulating hormone). You might not know what all of those do, but I bet you’ve heard of adrenaline. That’s the chemical responsible for “fight or flight”…. imagine you were in a tense situation, where you either need to run away or fight for you life. In either of those situations, eating is the last thing on your mind! Adrenaline suppresses hunger feelings. Together, the day time chemicals give you a burst of energy, so you don’t feel like you need to refuel with food right away.
Everyone’s body is different. The proportions of different hormones and when their levels rise in your body are different for each person.
Hope that makes sense. Feel free to ask if you have follow up questions.
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