Sleep less; Weigh more;

Is there an effortless way to lose weight? Yes. It's called sleep! At least three major studies link a lack of sleep to increased weight. In one, men in their twenties who on two consecutive nights got only four hours of sleep reported having increased appetites. In another study of more than 40,000 adults and children, those who were sleep deprived had almost twice the risk of obesity.
The connection? One theory: When you're sleepy, you produce more of an appetite-stimulating hormone called ghrelin and less of the hormone leptin, which lets the brain know when you are full. The result? You feel hungry all the time and don't know when you've had enough. Also, when you get less sleep, you make less human growth hormone, which burns fat and helps build muscles. The body sees undersleeping as a stressor, so it produces more of the stress hormone cortisol, which contributes to weight gain. So get those ZZZ's and lose those pounds!