4 Surprising Reasons You Wake Up Hungry & What To Do About It

Much like the fact that some people greet each day bright-eyed and bushy-tailed while others are confirmed night owls, we don't all arise with the same level of hunger in our bellies. It never fails that, between spouses or roommates, one person wakes up ravenous while the other could take or leave breakfast. What's that about?

Of course, there's the obvious—and possibly most common—explanation: people who eat late in the evening (especially larger portions) are more likely to meet the morning without much appetite. On the flip side, if you closed the kitchen after an early dinner, your body has had a chance to metabolize everything you ate, making plenty of room for breakfast.

No surprises here! Feelings of satiation largely boil down to your body's metabolic rate. If you're an athlete or someone with lots of muscle mass, you'll likely burn more calories while you sleep. (Muscle is more metabolically active1 than fat.)

Any time a health condition messes with your blood sugar, there's potential for it to sway your appetite. Especially if you have diabetes or other blood sugar issues, you may find mornings are your hungriest time of day. "People with diabetes may experience a condition called the dawn phenomenon," Wiemann explains. "This is caused by high blood sugars in the morning, which could lead to increased hunger."

Sleep is an often overlooked (but crazy important) factor in our feelings of hunger. A wealth of research shows that a good night's rest and an appropriate appetite go together like eggs and bacon.

One 2013 study2 reported that sleep deprivation significantly decreased the brain's ability to regulate appetite. Another small study from 20193 found that when healthy women's sleep was curtailed by 33%, they experienced increased hunger and food cravings. (They also ate more chocolate!)

For some folks, a lack of peckishness in the mornings may simply be a matter of growing older. "As people get older, they may lose some of their ability to sense if they are hungry or thirsty," says Wiemann.

Oh, and even if you're the type who tends to wake up feeling "meh" about food, you might want to think about getting a little something in your belly.