It's sad when a basic necessity becomes a luxury. But as a new mom, I'm learning fast that things I once took for granted, like a daily shower or a quick trip to Starbucks for the new Sugar-free Gingerbread Latte (yum! have you tried it?), are all too hard to come by these days.

The worst of it is sleep. During pregnancy, I was warned by parents everywhere to enjoy my sleep while I still could. And I knew having a baby in the house would make it difficult to catch a few Zzzs. But I honestly was not prepared for just how bad it would really be.

I'm lucky if I get four hours in a 24-hour period.

It takes a real toll on my mood (just ask my husband) and my energy level. Now research shows this chronic sleep deprivation is bad for my health and weight.

Just this month, the journal Sleep released a new study linking too little sleep with an increased risk of type 2 diabetes. Sleep deprivation, study authors warn, decreases glucose tolerance and compromises insulin sensitivity, causing the pancreas to work overtime. Could it be this lack of sleep that's causing my blood sugar to be all funky these days?

Last month, there was more bad news for the sleep-deprived new mom. New research indicates getting less than five hours of sleep a night hinders post-pregnancy weight loss. For a woman who's desperate to lose another 30 to 40 pounds of baby weight, that's just devastating news.

On the plus side, I know this is only temporary. Right now, I'm in the thick of it with the boy's refusal to sleep when it's dark out. In a few more weeks (or so I'm told) he'll start sleeping more regularly. Well, at least I can dream, right?