Want to lose extra pounds, get some sleep

Here is good news for the mothers who gained some pounds during their pregnancies. According to the researchers, the women who gained some pounds during pregnancy should try to get more sleep. They found that mothers who used to sleep for five hours or less a day when their babies were six months old were more three times likely to be having extra weight compared to the more rested mothers at one year (Via Yahoo News).

"We've known for some time that sleep deprivation is associated with weight gain and obesity in the general population, but this study shows that getting enough sleep -- even just two hours more -- may be as important as a healthy diet and exercise for new mothers to return to their pre-pregnancy weight," said Erica Gunderson of Kaiser Permanente, which runs hospitals and clinics in California.

The researchers found that mothers, who used to sleep for five hours or less a night when their babies were six months old, were more likely to gain 11 pounds extra at one year (after baby birth). Mothers who used to sleep for sever or more hours a night lost more weight.