When we think of losing weight, the priority that comes to mind is more exercise and healthier eating habits. But have you ever wondered how many calories you burn while sleeping? You'll be surprised!
If you want to lose weight, exercise and healthy food are at the top of the list. But did you know that a good and restful sleep is just as important?
The regeneration of the body after training is particularly important so that you can build up strength and muscles. But also a second aspect speaks for a good sleep in the weight loss phase.
In the resting position, the body also consumes calories. The number of calories your body needs at rest to supply all organs is called the basal metabolic rate.
By burning the calories, it is possible for the body to maintain the most important functions.
What hormones ensure healthy sleep
In the body, many different hormones are responsible for healthy sleep.
- Testosterone: The growth hormone is released more strongly through restful sleep and ensures muscle strength and performance. So when you're working out and building muscle, good sleep is especially important because it makes it easier to build muscle.
- Cortisol: The stress hormone is released during sleep deprivation and inhibits weight loss and muscle building. In addition, fewer calories are burned in stressful situations.
- Leptin: This hormone makes you feel full. When you don't sleep enough, you burn fewer calories and you produce little leptin. This makes you feel hungry all the time!
Attention: Too much sleep is unhealthy!
How much calories you burn while sleeping
The calories that the body burns during sleep naturally vary from person to person. The weight, age and also gender play a role here.
However, there is a formula that you can use to calculate your basal metabolic rate and consequently your calorie consumption while you sleep.
The basal metabolic rate can be calculated like this:
BMR = 655 + (1.8 x height in centimeters) + (9.6 x weight in kilograms) - (4.7 x age in years)
To calculate your calorie consumption during sleep, divide the result of the basal metabolic rate by 24. Then find out how many calories you burn per hour. Multiply this number by the number of hours you sleep.
It may sound complicated, but it's not.
For example, if you are 30 years old, 170 cm tall, and weigh 63 kg, your BMR is 1424.8. Per hour of sleep you consume just under 60 calories, so eight hours of sleep will give you about 480 calories!
So sleeping alone consumes a lot of calories. There are a few more things that increase this effect. We'll tell you what they are now.
That's why you need to increase your basal metabolic rate to lose weight!
What you burn even more calories with while sleeping
There are a few tricks that can help you boost calorie consumption while you sleep. Just a few small changes in your behavior can make a big difference.
Cool nights
As part of a study at Oxford University, it was found that sleeping in a cool environment can have a positive effect on the body.
Fresh, cool air while sleeping leads to the reduction of health risks such as diabetes or obesity. Increased production of insulin reduces the risk of these diseases. But the cool air while sleeping also has another advantage.
Because when we are cold, the nervous system sends signals to the brain region that regulates our body temperature. In this way, the brain stimulates the cells in the brown fat so that heat is generated and we are no longer cold.
When generating heat, the body burns energy and calories. For unwelcome fat pads it goes to the collar. So cool nights bring it!
Sleep naked
When you sleep naked, you also do something good for your figure. Stress hormones are reduced and this has a positive effect on your weight. Cravings will be less as soon as the stress level decreases.
This means that when you sleep naked and are relaxed, you don't tend to eat as much. Also, when you are naked, your body needs more energy to maintain the body temperature and therefore consumes more calories.
More reasons why sleeping naked makes you healthy and beautiful!
The right food before sleep
There are things that, if eaten before bedtime, help you sleep well, and others that cause sleepless nights. You can eat cherries, bananas or a glass of milk before going to bed without hesitation, but you should keep your hands off wine and fast food.
These make for restless and unrelaxed sleep, which in turn leads to reduced calorie consumption at night.
These are the foods you should eat before sleeping!
Stimulate metabolism
To burn even more calories while you sleep, it's important to stimulate your metabolism. This is also possible through nutrition.
A small protein-rich snack in the evening is enough to keep your metabolism extra active overnight. The snack should contain low-fat curd cheese, cottage cheese or eggs.
Drink plenty of water for high calorie consumption
This rule actually applies at any time of the day or night! Drinking enough water is not only important to keep the body well supplied, but in turn also helps to stimulate the metabolism.
And this has a positive effect on calorie consumption at night!
Drink water as an insider tip for losing weight!
No light sources
Wondering what effect light has on how many calories you burn while sleeping? It's easy to explain: light sources affect the body clock and metabolism.
The body has a hard time orienting itself and doesn't go into night mode. So no light is better if you want to burn more calories while sleeping.
No electronics in the bedroom
We already know that the smartphone is often a love killer. But electronic devices also have a negative effect on restful and healthy sleep.
This in turn makes the metabolism work worse and fewer calories are consumed.
These are the sleep killers you should avoid!
Our conclusion
With our tips you can sleep slim! You can partially control how many calories you burn while you sleep.
A bad news for all sports muffle: A workout nevertheless does not replace good sleep. ;)
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