New mothers who manage to get enough shut eye between feeds are more likely to get their figures back than those who are sleep deprived. The very latest research from Harvard Medical School and published in December 2007 in the American Journal of Epidemiology suggests that there may be a crucial link between sleep deprivation and inability to lose weight once the baby has arrived.

According to the researchers, an extra two hours a night can make a major difference because it is thought that sleep triggers hormone changes which make women hungrier. The study of 1000 new mothers found that those who were sleeping for five or less hours when their babies were six months old were three times more likely to be carrying an extra 11 pounds at their baby’s first birthday than those who got between 6 and 8 hours.

 

It’s been known for some time that sleep deprivation is associated with weight gain and obesity but this study shows that getting enough sleep – even one or two hours more – may be as important as healthy diet and exercise for new mothers who want to return to their pre-pregnancy weight. Quality sleep is, of course, hard to achieve on a regular basis with a crying baby but the important message of this study is that getting the proper amount of sleep – between 6 to 8 hours – every night is not a luxury but a necessity. It’s essential not just for weight control but for the overall health of a new mum and presents a great opportunity for partners, family and friends to help with the baby.

This entry was posted on Friday, February 1st, 2008 at 5:10 pm and is filed under In the News, Pregnancy, Sleep, Weight Loss. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.