We’re well into the new year, and among the millions of Americans who resolved to lose a few pounds after overindulging during the holidays, many may be feeling discouraged because they’re not making as much progress as they’d like—despite their best efforts. Are you one of them? What if someone told you to balance those extra hours logged at the gym with some much-needed sleep? That doesn’t mean exercise isn’t important.

However, if you constantly sleep less than seven hours a night, you could be hindering the progress you make during workouts and compromising your healthy eating habits. Did you know that sleep deprivation can actually trigger food cravings? Especially cravings for fatty, unhealthy foods? Sleep deprivation also has a negative effect on hormones, further complicating things. Before you know it, a vicious cycle of insomnia and weight gain can set in. Fortunately, there’s much you can do to get better sleep and put food cravings to rest.