Some of the reasons for this rise in poor sleeping habits include increased stress, increases in artificial light and technologies such as television, phones and the internet. All keeping us up late into the night.
The issue with not getting enough sleep is that it can cause your body to release increased levels of stress hormones which encourage us to eat (like ghrelin, which increases appetite). Not only that, but the longer we stay up, the longer we are exposed to our eating friendly environment, meaning we are more likely to snack than if we just went to bed. Not to mention many people have developed the habit of eating while watching TV or working on the computer, so they aren't even paying attention to what they are eating.
Stress eating is a common problem and if you are stressed at work and sleep deprived, you will find it tempting to over eat. So make sure to catch your ZZZ's when you can. It may be one of the best things you can do for your health.