How the Beginning and End of Your Day Can Transform Cravings, Energy, and Sleep

If we want to understand food cravings, appetite, and energy — truly understand them — we need to start with the foundations.

Not willpower.
Not “being good.”
And certainly not another set of food rules.

Instead, we begin with something far more fundamental: your intrinsic sleep–wake rhythm, and the hormones and brain chemicals that quietly shape how hungry you feel, what you crave, and how your body responds to food.

In this piece, I want to invite you to look at both the start and the end of your day — because the way one finishes almost always influences how the next begins.

My hope is that you’ll come away with a handful of clear, realistic strategies you can use straight away — small shifts that support energy, reduce fatigue, and begin to soften food cravings, without asking you to overhaul your life.

A Few Truths We Need to Get Comfortable With

Before we talk about sleep or breakfast, we need to acknowledge something important:

There is no one-size-fits-all way of eating.

What works beautifully for one person may feel completely wrong for another — and that’s not a failure. It’s biology, psychology, and life experience doing what they do best.

Here’s why our needs differ so much:

1. We all carry food baggage

From childhood onwards, we absorb messages about food, bodies, health, and worth — often without realising it. Families, culture, dieting trends, and lived experiences all leave their imprint. Some of those beliefs support us. Others quietly undermine confidence or disconnect us from our own cues.

2. We are biochemically individual

Your genetics, gut microbiome, stress response, immune system, and sleep needs are uniquely yours. Two people can eat the same food and have entirely different outcomes — in energy, digestion, mood, and appetite.

3. We live very different lives

Sleep, work patterns, caring responsibilities, emotional load — these all matter. What looks “simple” on paper may be anything but in real life.

So rather than forcing yourself into someone else’s version of healthy eating, the goal is to build an empowered way of eating that works for you.

So Where Do We Begin?

Let’s make this simple.

We start at the beginning of the day — but we also gently rewind and look at how the previous day ends.

Why? Because sleep quality directly affects your hormones and nervous system, which then shape appetite, cravings, and food choices the next day.

In many cases, the eating struggles people blame on “lack of control” are actually rooted in poor or disrupted sleep.

Why Sleep Is a Game Changer

Sleep looks different for all of us, and there will always be seasons of life where it’s more challenging — that’s normal. But there are also things nearly all of us can do to improve sleep quality.

Sleep is governed by your circadian rhythm, driven largely by two key hormones working in a delicate dance over 24 hours:

Melatonin

Often called the sleep hormone, melatonin is also a powerful antioxidant and immune supporter. Importantly, we don’t just “switch it on” at night — we build melatonin throughout the day.

Cortisol

Cortisol helps us wake up and function. It’s essential for life. But when sleep is poor, cortisol levels often run higher the next day — and this is where problems creep in.

Higher cortisol is associated with:

• Increased food cravings

• A stronger desire for sweet foods

• Changes in how the body stores energy

For many people I work with, improving sleep is the missing piece that allows everything else — eating patterns, energy, mood — to fall into place.

What Gets in the Way of Sleep?

A few common (and very human) factors are worth reflecting on:

Light

We are biologically programmed to be awake in daylight and asleep in darkness. Artificial lighting — especially late at night — can confuse this signal.

Caffeine

Found in coffee, tea, and chocolate, caffeine stimulates adrenaline and can temporarily boost energy. But it also:

• Increases anxiety and jitteriness for some

• Blocks adenosine, a brain chemical that helps us feel sleepy

• Undermines melatonin production

Alcohol

While alcohol may help you fall asleep, it often disrupts deeper, restorative sleep — the kind your body needs for repair and regeneration.

Now Let’s Talk About Mornings

This is where breakfast comes in. After a poor night’s sleep, cortisol levels are often higher, which can make blood glucose harder to regulate and appetite more unpredictable. Research and clinical experience consistently show that a well-balanced breakfast — especially one that includes protein, natural fat and fibre — can support steadier blood glucose, reduce cravings, and improve appetite regulation later in the day. Over time, this creates a positive ripple effect, influencing food choices not only that evening, but into the next day as well.

Rather than asking what should I eat?, I encourage starting with curiosity.

Ask yourself:

• How hungry am I in the morning?

• Am I eating because I’m genuinely hungry — or because I feel I “should”?

• Do I skip breakfast entirely or rely on caffeine alone?

Finding your right time to eat breakfast is valid — and it can significantly affect cravings later in the day.

A Gentle Word on Breakfast Composition

From years of client experience, one pattern shows up again and again:
Protein is often lacking, especially at breakfast.

Many breakfasts are carbohydrate-heavy. There’s nothing inherently wrong with carbohydrates — but without protein, natural fats, and fibre, blood sugar and appetite can become harder to manage.

Protein matters because it:

• Increases satisfaction

• Reduces grazing and snacking later on

• Supports the production of sleep-related brain chemicals

Examples include:

• Protein: eggs, fish, nuts, seeds, quinoa, yoghurt

• Natural fats: avocado, butter, olive oil, nuts, seeds

• Fibre: oats, buckwheat, nuts, seeds, fruits, vegetables

Balance — not perfection — is the goal.

Practical Reflections to Take Away

Rather than adding more rules, I invite you to review and prioritise.

In the evening:

• Do you have an evening routine — or could one help?

• How is your lighting, especially in darker months?

• What role do screens and blue light play before bed?

• How much caffeine are you having — and when?

(Small shifts here can make a surprisingly big difference.)

In the morning:

• What time do you eat, and is it working for you?

• Would eating earlier or slightly later support appetite regulation better?

• Is your breakfast genuinely filling?

• Are you getting enough protein for you?

A Final Thought

If you take nothing else from this, let it be this:

Your body is not broken.
Your cravings are not random.
And your eating patterns make sense in context.

When we support sleep, nervous system regulation, and nourishment — gently and consistently — the relationship with food often softens naturally.

And that’s a far kinder place to begin.