Is it possible to sleep yourself thin?

Posted by Fio.

I have lost two pounds since I started dieting.
That's all, and I'm terribly disappointed.

I have been SO good! I have eaten lot's of vegetables. I don't eat a lot of fat and meat is almost out of my diet completely. I don't drink soda, not much alcohol and I don't eat a lot of sweets. In addition, I have walked more than three miles a day, five days a week since I started. It doesn't seem to help.

So now I have turned my attention to sleep.
Did you know that researches thinks that too little sleep can cause overweight?

One of the more interesting ideas that has been smoldering and is now gaining momentum is the appreciation of the fact that sleep and sleep disruption do remarkable things to the body -- including possibly influencing our weight," says David Rapoport, MD, associate professor and director of the Sleep Medicine Program at the New York University School of Medicine in New York City.
(Source: http://www.webmd.com/sleep-disorders/guide/lose-weight-while-sleeping )

Scientists have found that sleep deprivation increases levels of a hunger hormone and decreases levels of a hormone that makes you feel full. The effects may lead to overeating and weight gain.
In a recent study, those who regularly slept less than 7.7 hours had a slightly higher body mass index (BMI).

Several epidemiological studies show the same connection, including one out last month from Columbia University in New York that used government data on 6,115 people to compare sleep patterns and obesity.
Researchers found that people who sleep two to four hours a night are 73% more likely to be obese than those who get seven to nine hours. Those who get five or more hours of sleep a night are 50% more likely to be obese than normal sleepers. Those who sleep six hours are 23% more likely to be obese.
And, the researchers reported, those who get 10 or more hours are 11% less likely to be obese.
In a way, the latest findings seem counterintuitive "because most people think that sleeping too much contributes to making people fat, but we found the opposite is true," Emmanuel Mignot says. He is a a Howard Hughes Medical Institute investigator at Stanford
(Source: http://www.usatoday.com/news/health/2004-12-06-sleep-weight-gain_x.htm )

So, how much sleep is enough?
This is what one expert says:

Sleep needs vary, but in general most adults need seven to nine hours a night, experts say. There are some people who can do with less, and others who need more. Yet, many people don't know exactly how much sleep they need. Sleep researcher Eve Van Cauter, professor of medicine at the University of Chicago, recommends trying to get a handle on your sleep need by doing this: The next time you're on vacation, sleep as much as you can the first couple of days. That way you can pay off your sleep debt, she says. Then, when your sleep has stabilized, record how much you sleep, plus or minus 15 minutes. That is your sleep need or capacity.

Needless to day, I'm off to Zzzzzzzz!!!