Sleep plays a vital role in regulating the body’s metabolic processes, from blood sugar control to appetite regulation. Even short-term sleep loss can lead to changes that mirror early-stage diabetes, including lower insulin sensitivity and hormone disruptions. Sleep loss affects two key appetite-regulating hormones—it lowers leptin, which signals fullness, and raises ghrelin, which signals hunger—often leading to increased hunger and promoting weight gain. This helps explain why irregular sleep patterns, like those of shift workers, raise the risk for metabolic disorders such as obesity and type 2 diabetes.