Lack of sleep = slower weight loss

In a study of over 900 women, researchers from Harvard Medical School found that mums who got less than five hours of sleep a day when their babies were 6 months old were three times more likely to be carrying 11 extra pounds at the child's first birthday than those who get seven hours. The bottom line –- those extra two hours of sleep could make all the difference.

The study also found that mothers who slept fewer hours at one year postpartum than they did at six months postpartum had twice the risk of substantial weight retention. Other studies have shown that persistent sleep deprivation causes hormonal changes that may stimulate appetite.

The researchers think just 2 extra hours of sleep is as important as a healthy diet and exercise.

An interesting dilemma but not one that seems overly complicated. Clearly, partners need to be more involved in sharing the domestic workload because women still do exceedingly more childcare (e.g. waking up in the night) in most of the developed world.

Source: http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,312174,00.html