5 Habits to Lose Weight While You Sleep

Despite staying active and eating right, some of us find it challenging to maintain a healthy weight. But what if we could actually lose a few pounds while in a peaceful slumber? Too good to be true? Maybe not. Check out these ways we can burn some calories while we sleep. 

Sleep in a Cool Environment

Sweat it out at night? Some people may think a good sweat can help flush out toxins and contribute to some weight loss. But statistics suggest otherwise.

Research shows that when the room temperature hovers around 66 degrees Fahrenheit, it promotes calorie burning and fat metabolism during sleep. Need to lose a pound or two? Try keeping the bedroom cooler. 

Eat on a Schedule

It’s important to eat around the same time each day to keep our metabolism functioning its best. It’s particularly important to avoid eating just before we go to sleep at night. Even though it may be tempting to grab a bag of salty chips or a few pieces of candy just before bed, eating right before we go to sleep can halt weight loss. In addition, foods containing a lot of salt or sugar might act as silent stimulants and keep us up at night. Disrupting our sleep patterns will almost certainly put a halt to burning any extra calories at night. 

Fill Up on Protein

We all need protein to stay healthy. It helps increase muscle mass, maintain weight loss and reduce appetite triggers. All of this can help us lose weight while we sleep.

For a light evening nosh, if hunger gets out of control, reach for a protein-packed snack. Consider options like a small greens-packed salad, some legumes, celery with hummus, or a bit of cheese, lean meat, eggs or peanut butter. Try not to eat anything within three hours of going to bed and be careful with portions to keep from stalling weight loss. 

And consider when you're eating as well as what. If we eat bigger breakfasts and lighter dinners, our bodies won’t have so much to metabolize while we sleep. Also, drink plenty of water first thing in the morning to flush the system and prepare for the day.

Keep a Solid Sleep Routine

To possibly wake up a few pounds lighter in the morning, it’s important to make sure our bodies go completely through their entire natural circadian sleep rhythm. The circadian rhythm controls fat metabolism and storage, melatonin and cortisol release, insulin production and release, and ghrelin and leptin control. All of these balances play into healthy weight maintenance and any attempted loss. 

Going to bed at the same time every night helps maintain a healthy circadian rhythm to make it less confusing for the body to metabolize fats and discharge calories through sweat and urine. 

Try a Hot Bath

Hot baths can relax the body and help you sleep but they also burn calories. In fact, studies show they burn a lot of calories. And if they help us real for sleep, well, getting good sleep, as above, helps too. So the hot bath could be an incredible tool, in the weight loss arsenal.

A lot of amazing things happen in our bodies while we sleep. Amazingly, we might even be able to lose weight while we sleep if we keep some healthy habits throughout the day. Why not give it a try!

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