BATON ROUGE — So many of us struggle to get enough sleep each night and wind up paying for it the next day.

The lack of rest can have you feeling more than just tired and groggy. It can also make you hungrier.

"Sleep regulates the release of hormones, and some of those hormones include the appetite hormones,” sleep specialist Nancy Foldvary said.

When we are sleep deprived, experts say our appetite hormones get thrown off and may make us eat more the next day.

We also tend to crave more unhealthy foods when we are tired. Doctors say it is just one of the many reasons why getting a good night's rest is key to our overall health.

If you are having trouble sleeping, it is important to create a regular nighttime routine and wake up at the same time each day. Avoiding an afternoon cup of coffee can help as well.

“Caffeine can have a widely variable half-life. It can linger in the central nervous system far beyond what you might expect, and so some of us are really sensitive to that and really can't have caffeine beyond early morning. And certainly, drinking caffeine or eating foods with caffeine, including chocolate, after noon or 2 p.m. is likely to lead to some sleep fragmentation,” Foldvary said.

If you continue to have problems, seeing a sleep specialist may be a good idea to help rule out any underlying sleep disorders.