Shortened sleep patterns leads to weight gain and obesity.

different people have different results from lack of sleep. some people get thinner while others gain weight. i have the experience of lack of sleep. i feel hungry no matter how much i've had. if i just keep eating perhaps i will gain weight. fortunately i seldom lack sleep.

I have heard that and believe it. When you are struggling to stay awake at night you have a tendency to eat. Because your body is looking for a way to stay awake. So during the day since you are not rested you need something to keep you going!

Yes that is very true. Whenever I choose to stay up too late, the next day I feel tired all day and it's like pulling teeth to get myself some exercise. And it's actually bad to exercise when you are tired b/c you are more likely to hurt yourself.

I have the opposite problem. I'm 5'4" and I'm finally up to 103 lbs. after dropping down to a tragic 95 lbs. due to stress. I get about 4 hours of sleep a night, because I have to wait until the kids go to sleep at night to get the unfinished chores done, write letters to my man (who's away in the ARMY- one of the causes of stress), and other misc. things. Anyway, I try to eat when I can & I've always had a ton of energy, but I don't think that sleep has a direct effect on your weight as much as it does on your attitude. It's harder to stay upbeat when you're tired. I do know that over or under-weight, water is key to getting to a healthy weight.