You’re always hungry? It’s not real hunger but some real situations can cause a strong appetite. Here are 9 possibilities. It’s not time for lunch, not even close, but you still can’t stop thinking about food and what would you like to eat. It happens that our brain and body conspire against us, but why?

You didn’t get Enough Sleep

Have you ever heard you stomach grumbling earlier than usual, and you didn’t get enough sleep, because the alarm that calls you to wake up is remaining you that you don’t have enough time for sleeping? The reason why hunger appears earlier than usually lies in the level of Ghrelin hormones in the cells of the stomach, but also in different parts of the brain.

Before a meal the level of this hormone in the cells is high and it stimulates brain cells which tell us that we should eat. After we eat, that level of hormones will drastically decrease. When you fell such type of hunger you’ll mostly seek for carbohydrates and other calorie rich food from which the body will get energy faster. Experts believe that this is the reason why we gain weight easily.

You eat before you go to Bed

Experts don’t have any concrete evidence why we wake up really hungry when the night before we had a full meal. Contrary to common belief, it doesn’t mean that the stomach has expanded, but probably it depends on what food we ate. If we consumed a lot of starch, it is possible that it can cause a change in the blood sugar and send “false” information to the brain, making it think that it isn’t full.

When women have PMS

A lot of women knows that they can justify a bigger intake of food as ” I have PMS”. But, scientist can also explain that. During that time the number of progesterone is increasing in the female body which causes hunger, but also bad mood. And according to the Psychology Today Magazine, such behavior is also common by animals.

You have a bad Breakfast

We know that breakfast is the most important meal of the day. But, if you don’t have a good breakfast, that can ruin your whole day. Recent research have discovered that it’s crucial to have breakfast with food that is rich with protein. The results have shown us that people who had breakfast with protein rich food were not at the risk of getting fatter, and the probability of them getting hung or the urge for something sweet before it gets dark, that’s when the metabolism is slowing down, is pretty low.

When you’re in a hurry to get to work and you don’t have time for a quiet breakfast, then I recommend a cereal bar. It will give you at least 400-500 calories, which is better than skipping breakfast. You can eat it in the car on the road.

You’re taking some sort of Medication

If you’re taking medications, from arthritis to allergy, you should know that they all can cause permanent hunger. In the last 20 years, the number of medication causing hunger has grown exponentially. Before, such “side effects” would only one out of ten medications have, but today it’s four of ten, says the Health Magazine. Good thing is that after taking the prescribed dosage your metabolism should return to being normal. But people suffering from chronically diseases and that need to take long term treatment should consult their doctor. There is probably other medication that can help you, with less side effects.

Drinking “light” Sodas

You love to drink sodas, especially those that say no calories. The sugar from those beverages send the brain a “food and calories” message. But, there are no calories and hunger steps in. Even the taste can send such a message to the brain.

You’re actually Thirsty

Low dehydration of the organism can be traced to feeling hungry. The body starts taking calories from other sources. Diet experts recommend that when you are feeling hungry you should first drink a glass of water and wait a minute, before “throwing yourself at the food”.

You are Bored

A big part of the things we do is driven by dopamine. On biological level, dopamine lifts our mood after consuming a meal. But if you are bored, don’t reach for food, read a book or watch a movie.

You’re under Stress

It doesn’t matter if it’s physical or mental stress, the part of the brain that’s called hypothalamus sends a signal to release cortisol, the stress hormone. And scientists have concluded that a high level of cortisol, causes causes chronic stress, can increase the appetite.