206. The Hidden Ways Sleep Deprivation Fuels Emotional Eating with Dr. Benjamin Long, MD

Sleep deprivation doesn’t just make you tired. It quietly changes how food feels, how emotions show up, and how hard it is to feel at peace in your body.

When you’re exhausted, cravings feel stronger, food thoughts feel louder, and self-control feels out of reach. You may know sleep matters, but in this season it feels unproductive, unrealistic, or impossible. And that tension often spills straight into food guilt and emotional eating.

In today’s episode, I’m joined by Dr. Benjamin Long, a dual board-certified sleep medicine physician and seminary student who helps people see sleep as both a medical need and a gift from God. Together, we explore the connection between sleep deprivation and emotional eating, why exhaustion makes food freedom feel harder, and how faith reshapes the way we think about rest.

A few things you can expect to hear in this episode include…

🧠 How sleep deprivation intensifies cravings and food thoughts

🍪 Why exhaustion makes emotional eating feel harder to resist

📖 A biblical perspective on sleep as trust, not weakness

⏳ The connection between control, productivity, and rest

🌙 A gentler way to think about sleepless nights in this season

Resources mentioned:

> Get Dr. Benjamin’s NEW BOOK, Sleep Habits Journal: Practices, Prayers, and Devotions to Ease Your Sleepless Nights

> Connect with Dr. Benjamin Long on Instagram @thewholeheartedmd

Your Next Steps to Food Freedom & Better Body Image:

> Become a VIP Podcast Insider HERE to access BONUS resources and my weekly personal newsletter, The Full Plate Press.

> Join our FREE Facebook community, Food Freedom & Body Image Support for Christian Women, to ask your questions about cultivating a joy-filled relationship with food, your body, & Jesus.

Got a question about food freedom, body image, faith, or nutrition? Leave me a SpeakPipe voice note here for a chance to have your question answered on an episode of the Faith-Filled Food Freedom podcast!

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Connect with Brittany on Instagram @brittanybraswellrd

*Reminder - Podcast content is not meant to be taken as professional nutrition or medical advice, or to replace counseling with a licensed therapist. Please consult with your own treatment team.