Lack of Sleep Tied to Weight Gain in New Moms

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Also, she added, "If you're awake more, you may have more opportunities to eat."

Claire D. Brindis, a professor of pediatrics at the University of California, San Francisco, said her own experience of giving birth to two children taught her about how stress, sleep and weight are all connected.

"Having lived this, it's partly that you're more tired, and you feel you need food to keep you energized," she said. "And when you're stressed, you feel like you can reward yourself with food. It creates a sense of comfort."

Gunderson said the next step is to understand what women who sleep less after pregnancy have in common. Doctors can then "target women who may not be getting enough sleep and find ways to support them," she said.

More information

To learn more about sleep, visit the National Sleep Foundation.