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How Your Body Uses Calories While You Sleep

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Your body is your temple and taking good care of it is imperative if you want to lead a healthy life.

It may seem that during sleeping your body is just lying idle. But it is not only performing metabolism but is also involved in burning calories.

Metabolism is an activity performed by the cells of the body to break down food substances into small bits. When you sleep, a portion of your weight loss program is being established. To get a more significant weight loss while you are sleeping, you can improve your metabolism, for example, by exercising or walking for at least 30 minutes before going to a bed.

Many people complain that they are gaining weight because of slow metabolism, but very few people don’t realize that just by going for a good night’s sleep you will be able to maintain healthy body weight.

Weight Gain and Sleep

There are many studies that have been conducted which have shown that you will gain weight if you are not sleeping well in terms of quality and quantity of sleep.

It is during the REM or Rapid Eye Movement sleep, that our bodies burn the maximum of the calories. This is simply because the human brain is most active during that period and that is the time when the maximum amount of glucose is burnt.

What is REM Sleep?

You burn more calories when you are in deep sleep as compared to when you are tossing and turning in bed or lying down just while reading something.

At the time of sleeping your brain is extremely active. In fact, it is said to be more active during REM sleep than many of the times when you are wide awake.

What Happens When You Sleep?

Doctors opine that you enter the REM sleep in the second half of the night. It is during that time that glucose metabolism begins to augment. Research reveals that you burn more calories only when you sleep better.

Your calories’ intake can be affected the next day if you are not getting an ample amount of sleep. The deprivation of sleep makes people hungrier especially for the food that is high in fat. Added to that, if you sleep less you have much more time to eat.

Quality of Sleep

The quality of sleep that you get is also quite significant. After all, you get more REM sleep when you sleep deeper. This way you will burn much more calories.

However, keep it in mind that you won’t be able to burn a ton of calories if you sleep all day. Experts suggest that those who sleep for too long have a much slower rate of metabolism. This is because they stay in bed instead of the expansion of energy.

How Many Calories Do You Burn?

Given that people weigh in different amounts and need different amounts of sleep it is not so easy to give a concrete number of calories that the average person burns in the sleep.

How Many Calories Are Burnt during Sleep?

Here is a formula to assist you estimate how many calories you burn while you are asleep.

You can calculate your calorie expenditures by multiplying your weight with .42 calories – the average amount of calories that are burnt by a person for every pound of their weight in an hour of sleep and then multiplying the result with the number of hours for which you slept.

As an example, someone who weighs 150 pounds and sleeps for 8 hours would burn 63 calories an hour. This implies he or she has burnt about 504 calories by just sleeping for just one night.

It is worth noting, though that this calculation does not consider that the maximum calorie-burning occurs during the REM stage of the sleep as well as the habits which can impact your sleep. For example, eating less at night.

Tips to Burn More Calories as You Sleep

  • Stop Drinking Alcohol 3 Hours before Bed – While a couple of glasses of wine with the dinner is fine. You should curb alcohol intake at least 3 hours before going to bed. Otherwise, you won’t be able to attain those deeper stages of sleep which is essential for burning the calories.
  • Don’t Go for Large Meals in Dinner – You should understand that eating late does not always slow down the rate of metabolism. You just experience a slight enhancement in your rate of metabolism which is known as thermogenesis. The mindless snacking, however, can take a toll on your body.  But you should avoid the large meals before bedtime as they are said to be the primary culprits before bedtime.
  • Follow a Specific Sleep Pattern – You should go to bed and wake up at the same time during sleep. This way your body will be apt to maintain a regular sleep pattern.
  • Keep the Body Temperature Cooler – It is said that you will burn more calories, in fact, several hundred every night if you keep the body temperature low. When you wear a comfortable and thick pajama and bundle up in the warm blankets, your body does not need to produce the extra heat. Sleeping in the cooler temperatures except for the blankets and pajama can make the thermostat of the body to offer natural heat. Sleeping in colder temperatures always helps to burn up more calories.
  • Work Out Every day but Not before Bedtime – Exercising is a great idea for anyone who is trying to burn the calories during the day or night. But exercising just a couple of hours before bedtime can rev up the body and this may not let you sleep. So you should not exercise at least 3 hours before bedtime.

If you are still not being able to sleep well at night, then you should consult with a reputed dentist who can help you with tools like oral appliances for sleep apnea and techniques so that you can get a good night’s sleep.

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  1. PH PH

    The easiest way to lose fat while sleep would of a selection of what you eat right before you sleep. However, there could be many ways you can maintain and lose weight while you sleep but the best would be DIET. It could contain anything starting from salads, weight loss bars or a weight loss drink.

  2. Himanshu Himanshu

    Losing calories is the best way to reduce fat while you sleep. This process not only helps your body focus on removing that extra fat but also provides you the comfort of doing it while you sleep. But the most important part of this procedure is to take appropriate measures to succeed. There are many options available in the market nearby where you can buy diet food including, vegetables, fruits or diet bars and even diet drinks.

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