More sleep can help you fight the urge to eat another doughnut, study says

You made it to Friday, but can you make it past National Junk Food Day without putting on a pound or two?

Stress is often the problem, but the key? A good night’s sleep, according to a 2017 study published in the Journal of Applied Psychology.

“We found that employees who have a stressful workday tend to bring their negative feelings from the workplace to the dinner table, as manifested in eating more than usual and opting for more junk food instead of healthy food,” said Chu-Hsiang “Daisy” Chang, a Michigan State University associate professor of psychology and co-author of the study.

“A good night's sleep,” she said, “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.”

Alternatively, you can head to the South Pacific islands of Vanuatu where junk food has been banned altogether to avoid overindulging.

But if you’re not worried about the empty calories, trans fat and sugar highs, here in Tacoma we have “trifecta of quality junk food from Legendary Doughnuts, the Red Hot (hot dogs) and Ice Cream Social” on 6th Avenue, the Vancouver Courier said in March.

For other places to find your new junk food fix, head to the TNT Diner page for recents news on everything from the area’s cakes, pies and giant cookies to Legendary Doughnuts and Ice Cream Social’s new locations.

This story was originally published July 21, 2017 at 10:09 AM with the headline "More sleep can help you fight the urge to eat another doughnut, study says."