Yes, say scientists, proving that when it comes to losing weight, getting enough quality sleep is just as important as exercising and eating healthily. BY AZZURA SORAYA HASSAN

The average woman in the United States gets only about six-and-a-half hours of shut-eye per night, says the Washington DC-based National Sleep Foundation.

The bad news for these sleep-deprived women: They’re 12 to 32 percent more likely to experience a major weight gain of 15 kilograms or more, and 6 to 15 percent more likely to become obese, say research results that were presented at the 2006 American Thoracic Society International Conference.