For new mothers who are trying to shed those pounds gained during pregnancy, researchers may have found a factor that can help you lose weight – researchers have discovered that new mothers could aid their weight loss by sleeping more.

The study followed 940 mothers with children ages between 6 months and a year old. The study concluded that mothers who did not have enough sleep tended to retain around 5kg (11 pounds) more than those who had had enough sleep. For those who did lose weight but did not get enough sleep, the weight loss happened at a slower rate than those who had more sleep.

Overall, mothers who had 5 hours or less sleep per night found it more difficult to lose the weight after childbirth whereas those who had had 7 hours sleep or more per night lost the weight faster.