Is it possible to lose weight in your sleep, or is it just a claim made by companies that want to sell their weight loss products? The truth is that your body burns calories overnight through breathing and the process of metabolism. Yet, many of us sabotage our weight loss goals through various habits. Research suggests that a few tweaks to your daily routine can help boost your ability to lose weight while you sleep. Here are five science-backed tips to keep in mind to shed extra pounds.
Get More Sleep to Lose Weight Overnight
Not getting enough sleep poses several problems. When you are sleep deprived, you make bad food decisions, leading to weight gain. The longer you stay awake, the more you tend to eat, too. Close the kitchen to snacking after 8 p.m. If you must have something to tame those hunger hormones, make the snack small and healthy. Getting sufficient sleep will help you reduce calorie intake, leading to weight loss. A recent study published by the Salk Institute indicates that those who ate over 11 hours each day instead of over 14 hours and went to bed earlier each night lost 3.5% of their excess weight after 16 weeks.
Improve Sleep Quality
Sleeping in a cooler and darker environment will help you get a good night’s sleep, allowing you to shed pounds. The journal Diabetes recently published a small study that indicated people who lowered their bedroom temperature to 66 degrees at night increased burning brown fat in their bodies by 43% while also increasing their metabolism by 10%. Rooms that are too warm can prevent you from falling asleep and affect overall sleep quality during the night. Turn your thermostat down to whatever cooler temperatures you can handle.
Another factor affecting sleep quality and impairing your ability to shed extra pounds is having too much light in your bedroom. Get rid of that nightlight and keep the area as dark as possible. Sleeping with a light on can suppress the hormone melatonin and may affect your circadian rhythm, ultimately affecting the metabolism and the increased risk of weight gain. Consider blackout curtains to aid sleep. Experts also strongly recommend turning off your television, cell phone, laptop, and tablet well before bedtime, all emitting blue light. Blue light exposure causes sleep disruption and ultimately affects body weight.
Drink a Protein Shake
One of the ways that weight loss surgery patients lose massive numbers of pounds following their procedures is by consuming protein shakes. Adding protein shakes to your diet can help you lose those unwanted pounds, and if you have one shortly before going to bed, it may boost your metabolism. Florida State University researchers found that men who drank a protein shake in the evening had a higher resting metabolic rate the following morning.
Protein is more thermogenic than carbs or dietary fat, meaning you harness your body’s fat-burning power during the digestive process. Focusing on and consuming protein first during meals and drinking protein shakes is how bariatric surgery patients lose massive amounts of weight after their procedures. However, not all protein shakes are created equal. The trick is to find a powder with low added sugar that you can mix with water or low-fat milk. Protein shakes will also make you feel fuller longer, so you won’t feel hungry.
Mix Up Your Exercise Routine
Many people think they must do lots of cardio to lose weight overnight. While frequent cardio should be a part of an overall fitness plan, you should also include weight training, especially if you want to achieve nocturnal weight loss. Muscle burns more calories than fat. Strength training continues to burn calories well after the session, so lifting some weights in the evening can help you lose weight while you sleep.
If you don’t have dumbbells, perform bodyweight exercises like squats or planks before bedtime. Do a series of lunges as you walk from one room to the next, and then do a set of pushups before you turn in for the night to boost the body’s ability to burn fat cells.
Reduce Stress and Anxiety
Stress and anxiety raise the body’s cortisol level, making you gain weight. Endless worrying also affects proper sleep. Instead of allowing your mind to race, relax with meditation, breathing, or stretching exercises. Yoga can have a powerful influence on restful sleep as it offers increased flexibility, strength, and a calmer mind. Yoga calms the nervous system, allows you to focus inward, and blocks stress.
Another stress reliever is to take a hot shower or bath before heading to bed. Both help relieves tension and relaxes sore muscles while also releasing oxytocin, which can soothe your brain and helps you feel sleepy. The heat from the hot water will also give your core temperature a quick lift, followed by a quick dip when you get out and dry off.
What If I Can’t Lose Enough Weight Through Diet and Exercise?
Many people are simply too overweight to lose enough weight overnight through daytime tweaks to their routines. A dedicated diet and exercise regimen for burning fat and more calories than one consumes throughout the day is necessary. Some people even try intermittent fasting to no avail. Many people become morbidly obese and develop metabolic conditions threatening their health and life. Consider bariatric surgery to alter your digestive system when you cannot drop pounds through sleep and dedicated daytime methods. Finding an experienced bariatric surgery provider in Mexico can make the procedure affordable and help you realize your goal of becoming healthy and happy.
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