Written by Kyle Hunt | BEXSci.
Fact checked by Andrew Lenau, ISSA CPT & Sports Nutritionist
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Wouldn't it be great if you could torch fat while sleeping?
The good news is you can, at least to some degree. While it's true that sleeping won't replace a healthy diet and exercise routine, it can still aid in your weight loss journey.
In fact, getting enough sleep and maintaining a healthy sleep environment can positively impact your metabolism, hormone levels, and appetite regulation. Beyond that, you can also do things while you're awake to set yourself up to continue torching fat while getting some shut eye.
So, if you want to maximize your body's fat-burning potential, keep reading. In this article, we'll share seven effective ways to burn fat while you sleep. Plus, these tips will have you waking up feeling refreshed, energized, and leaner than ever.
And who doesn't want that?
Table of Contents:
- How Do You Burn Fat?
- How Are You Able To Burn Fat While You Sleep?
- 7 Easy Ways to Burn Fat While You Sleep
- Is Weight Loss & Fat Loss Different?
- Does What You Do During The Day Affect Fat Burning At Night?
- FAQs
How Do You Burn Fat?
Fat burning can be simplified into two essential steps: releasing stored fat from fat cells into the bloodstream and breaking down the released fat to produce energy.
The first step is called mobilization, which involves breaking down triglycerides stored in fat cells and releasing them into the bloodstream. This happens through a process called lipolysis.
The second step is called oxidation, which involves the breakdown of these fatty acids into a molecule called acetyl-CoA, which is then used to produce energy. This happens through beta-oxidation, which occurs in the mitochondria of cells. It's just a fancy way to explain how our bodies burn calories.
To achieve fat loss, both of these steps need to happen. The body must mobilize stored fat from fat cells and then break it down into energy through oxidation. This typically occurs when the body is in a caloric deficit, either through exercise or diet, which forces it to use stored fat as an energy source.
How Do You Burn Fat While You Sleep?
The body continues to burn fat while you sleep because the metabolism never stops. Fat burning is just the process in which the human body utilizes calories for energy.
In fact, your body still needs calories even if you decide to lay in bed all day and don't move. Basal metabolic rate (BMR) is the amount of energy, measured in calories, that your body requires at rest to perform its essential functions, such as breathing, circulating blood, maintaining body temperature, and repairing tissues.
BMR accounts for the most significant portion of daily energy expenditure, typically representing 50-70% of total energy expenditure in most individuals.
While you sleep, your body's metabolic rate slows down compared to when you are awake, but it still requires energy. Plus, as sleep is important for sports performance and recovery, your body certainly needs energy to aid in this process.
Not to get too technical, but during deep sleep, the body changes from using primarily glucose as its energy source to relying more on stored fat. This is because the body's insulin levels drop during sleep, which makes it easier for fat cells to release stored fat molecules into the bloodstream for use as energy. As a result, the body's metabolism shifts to burning more fat for fuel while you sleep.
The duration and quality of sleep also play a role in how effectively the body burns fat during sleep. Research suggests that inadequate or poor sleep can disrupt the body's hormone levels, including those that regulate hunger and metabolism1.
This disruption can lead to an increase in appetite and a decrease in the body's ability to lose fat, which can contribute to weight gain. More on that later.
In addition to improving sleep, incorporating habits like regular exercise and a balanced diet can further support the body's ability to burn fat during the night and promote overall health and wellness.
7 Easy Ways To Burn Fat While You Sleep
You may be surprised to find out that several fat-burning strategies are actually things you should do during the day to support better fat-burning at night.
Here are seven proven ways to burn fat while you sleep.
1) Sleep More:
The first way to burn more fat when you sleep is to spend more time in bed.
Getting adequate sleep is essential for optimal weight loss for several reasons. For one, sleep helps regulate the hormones that control hunger and fullness, including ghrelin and leptin.
When you don't get enough sleep, your ghrelin levels increase while your leptin levels decrease, leading to increased appetite and overeating. Not getting enough sleep can also boost cortisol levels, and as cortisol is a stress hormone that can lead to weight gain, we want to avoid this2.
Adequate sleep can help reduce cortisol levels and lower stress, making it easier to stick to healthy eating habits. We all have fallen victim to stress eating at one time or another.
Additionally, sleep plays a role in regulating glucose metabolism too. When you're sleep-deprived, your body may be unable to process glucose properly, leading to insulin resistance and a slower metabolism, which makes it harder to lose weight and maintain weight loss. This makes it harder to lose weight and keep it off.
Lastly, staying up late often leads to late-night snacking, which can add unwanted calories to your diet. Getting enough sleep can help you avoid this. Even one more hour in bed each night makes a significant difference. According to research, extra sleep helps you eat less food.
In a recent study, participants ate 270 fewer calories when their sleep increased from 6.5 to 7.5 hours per night3. Keep in mind the only change was focusing on getting more sleep. The participants did not take fat-burning supplements, exercise more, or receive new dietary recommendations.
When you don't get enough sleep, you're more likely to feel hungry, have difficulty feeling satiated when you eat, and prefer higher-calorie meals.
Everyone should aim for 7-9 hours of sleep per night for optimal health and fat burning.
2) Keep the Bedroom Cool:
Out of all the ways to burn fat while you sleep, I get it if you are skeptical about this one. However, keeping the bedroom cool can help you lose weight by increasing your body's production of brown adipose tissue (BAT), also known as brown fat.
Unlike white fat, which stores energy, brown fat is metabolically active and burns calories to produce heat. Having more calorie-burning brown fat in your body can improve your overall metabolism and burn more calories, even while you sleep.
Research has shown that sleeping in a chill environment can increase brown fat activation. In a 2014 study, researchers found that sleeping in a room cooled to 66°F (19°C) for four weeks increased brown fat activity and improved insulin sensitivity in participants4.
However, it's important to note that keeping the bedroom cool alone is unlikely to cause significant weight loss. It should be combined with other fat-burning habits on the list, such as regular exercise, a balanced diet, and sufficient sleep. I know I sound like a broken record at this point, but find a workout split you enjoy and stick to it. It plays an incremental role in your overall health!
Additionally, it's essential to ensure the room is not too cold, as this can disrupt sleep and potentially negate any positive effects. The ideal temperature for the bedroom may vary for different individuals, so it's important to find what works best for you.
3) Maintain a Calorie Deficit:
Every talk on burning fat needs to include a calorie deficit. Maintaining a calorie deficit means consuming fewer calories than your body needs to maintain weight. This is the most critical factor in weight loss.
In a calorie deficit, you must find other energy sources for fuel. In this situation, your body will start to break down stored fat to release energy. This even happens while you sleep.
When you sleep, your body still burns calories to support vital functions like breathing, blood circulation, and cellular repair. The number of calories you need during sleep depends on activity during the day, your body composition, and your metabolism.
Maintaining a calorie deficit while you sleep means your body will continue to rely on stored fat for energy throughout the night. Without this critical step, your body may not need to break down as much stored fat for energy, which can slow down the weight loss process.
4) Eat a High Protein Diet:
A high-protein diet can contribute to burning fat while you sleep in several ways.
First, protein has a high thermic effect, requiring more calories to digest and utilize than carbohydrates and fat5. This increased energy expenditure can help boost your metabolism while you sleep and promote fat burning.
Second, consuming protein before bed may help increase muscle protein synthesis during sleep. This is important because protein synthesis is how your body builds muscle and repairs muscle tissue.
By promoting muscle protein synthesis, a high protein diet can help preserve muscle mass and improve body composition, which can help support weight loss and fat burning. Before bed, opt for a protein source with a sustained amino acid release, such as a casein protein shake, Greek yogurt, or cottage cheese.
Third, a high-protein diet can keep you full for a longer time due to the satiating effect of protein. Protein is the king of satiety compared to carbohydrates or fat6. And since hunger is the number one reason people blow their diet, eating more protein will help you stick to it long enough to see results.
Interested in eating more protein? Our 7-Day High Protein Meal Plan will get you started!
5) Lift Weights:
Lifting weights, or weight training, during the day can effectively burn fat and promote nocturnal weight loss.
One reason is that strength training can help you build muscle. When you have more muscle tissue, your body requires more energy to maintain it, leading to a higher resting metabolic rate7. You can burn more calories while sleeping with a higher resting metabolic rate.
Strength training can also lead to excess post-exercise oxygen consumption (EPOC), the increased calorie burn after exercise. EPOC can last several hours after resistance training and contribute to increased fat burning at rest.
Additionally, strength training can help improve insulin sensitivity, which impacts the ability of your cells to use insulin effectively8. When your cells are more insulin sensitive, they can better absorb glucose from the bloodstream, regulating blood sugar levels and preventing excess glucose from being stored as fat.
6) Walk:
Getting 10,000 steps per day can be an easy and effective way to help burn fat while sleeping. In fact, walking is among the most underrated exercises. It is low-impact, can be done by almost anyone, and can help increase your daily calorie deficit.
Many people overlook walking because it is not as intense as other forms of exercise. However, when you walk, you burn extra calories, and increase your daily energy expenditure, which is how many calories your body burns daily.
Additionally, walking can help improve your sleep. A study published in 2019 found that the more steps a person takes per month, the better they report sleeping9.
This makes sense. Extra physical activity helps you get tired, so when it's bedtime, you fall asleep quicker due to fatigue.
Overall, consistently getting 10,000 steps per day is a fantastic way to help you lose fat while you sleep and improve your overall health.
7) Take a Night Time Supplement for Burning Fat:
Last but not least, nighttime weight loss supplements can be the final step to ensure your body is primed to lose fat around the clock, ultimately supporting lean body mass.
A nighttime fat burner is a supplement created to help you lose fat while sleeping. These products often contain a combination of ingredients that increase your metabolic rate and promote burning more calories. And if you're a big nighttime snacker, many will help suppress your appetite, helping you consume fewer calories.
Fat burners designed to be taken at night are stimulant-free. This means they have no caffeine content or other stimulants that can negatively impact sleep.
In fact, many nighttime fat burners include ingredients shown to help promote better restful sleep and relaxation, like the amino acid tryptophan and the hormone melatonin. You can learn more about this in our article: Do Nighttime Fat Burners Work?
The best part of taking a nighttime fat burner is all you have to do is remember to take it.
PhenQ PM is at the top of my nighttime fat burner list, as I find that it reduces evening cravings (no late-night snacking!), boosts your metabolism, and supports better and longer sleep.
PhenQ PM is a natural weight regulating formula that optimizes all 3 stages of night-time fat-burning — so you can melt excess pounds, crush hunger cravings, and reboot your metabolism — all while you sleep...
Mav Nutrition Nighttime Fat Burner is another great nighttime fat burner option, as it supports better sleep and fat burning, encourages a speedier metabolism, and leads to better muscle building.
Looking for more great options? Check out our article on the 9 Best Nighttime Fat Burners!
What Is The Difference Between Weight Loss & Fat Loss?
Weight loss and fat loss are phrases often used interchangeably, but they mean two different things.
Weight loss refers to a loss in overall body weight, which can come from various sources, including fat mass, muscle, and water weight. When someone loses weight, they may be losing a combination of these components, depending on their diet and exercise habits.
Fat loss, on the other hand, specifically means a reduction in the amount of body fat that someone is carrying. This is often the goal of individuals trying to improve their body composition. Reducing body fat can improve health markers such as insulin sensitivity and reduce the risk of chronic diseases while improving appearance.
While weight loss can sometimes result in fat loss, losing weight without losing much body fat is possible. For example, suppose someone is following a very low-calorie diet or engaging in excessive cardiovascular exercise. In that case, they may lose weight and significant amounts of muscle mass, which is detrimental to their overall health and fitness goals.
Ultimately, it is crucial to focus on fat loss rather than just weight loss and to adopt a sustainable approach to nutrition and exercise that promotes long-term health and well-being.
Does What You Do During The Day Affect Fat Burning At Night?
Yes, what you do while awake can impact fat burning at night. This is because the body's ability to burn fat for energy during periods of rest and sleep is influenced by several factors, including daily activity and nutrition.
For example, if you engage in regular physical activity during the day and follow a weight loss meal plan, you can increase your metabolic rate and create a calorie deficit, which can help to promote fat loss.
In addition, while we recommended a nighttime fat burner to increase weight loss while you sleep, taking daytime fat burner pills instead will also help support weight loss while sleeping by increasing your daily activity and your overall fat-burning rate. Just make sure you take it early on in the day, as daytime fat burners often contain stimulants that can potentially disrupt sleep.
On the flip side of all this, if you are sedentary during the day and consume a diet high in processed foods and calories, this can interfere with fat burning at night.
FAQs
Let's answer any remaining questions regarding fat loss while sleeping.
How can you lose belly fat while sleeping?
The best way to lose belly fat while sleeping is to eat a calorie-restricted diet, perform strength training, get 10k steps daily, and sleep 7-9 hours per night.
What drink burns fat while you sleep?
No drink will help you burn fat while you sleep. However, drinking green tea during the day has been shown to help promote fat loss. You can learn more about this in our article: Is Green Tea Good For Weight Loss?
What is the best nighttime fat burner?
Mav Nutrition Nighttime Fat Burner is among the best night time fat burners on the market. I like it because it has the amino acid L-tryptophan, L-Theanine, and melatonin to help promote better sleep.
Does drinking water before bed burn fat?
Drinking water before bed does not burn fat. In fact, drinking any liquid right before bed can cause you to wake up during the night to go to the bathroom. Sleep disruption can harm fat burning, so I don't advise drinking a lot of water right before bed.
What Burns Fat While You Sleep? Final Takeaways
If you want to burn fat and get in shape, you may be surprised to learn that the process doesn't stop when you go to bed at night. In fact, there are several easy and effective ways to burn fat while you sleep.
By adopting healthy habits such as a consistent calorie deficit through diet and exercise, consuming a high-protein diet, engaging in resistance training, getting enough steps during the day, and considering the use of nighttime fat burning supplements, you can help your body burn fat around the clock and reach your weight loss goals faster.
By incorporating these simple strategies into your daily routine, you'll see a difference on the scale and feel more energized, confident, and healthier overall. So start maximizing your body's natural fat-burning potential today.
Looking for an excellent nighttime fat burner to help you lose weight while you sleep? Check out our article on the 9 Best Nighttime Fat Burners to see what products have our stamp of approval.
References:
- Nedeltcheva AV, Kilkus JM, Imperial J, Schoeller DA, Penev PD. Insufficient sleep undermines dietary efforts to reduce adiposity. Ann Intern Med. 2010 Oct 5. doi: 10.7326/0003-4819-153-7-201010050-00006. PMID: 20921542; PMCID: PMC2951287.
- Hewagalamulage SD, Lee TK, Clarke IJ, Henry BA. Stress, cortisol, and obesity: a role for cortisol responsiveness in identifying individuals prone to obesity. Domest Anim Endocrinol. 2016 Jul. doi: 10.1016/j.domaniend.2016.03.004. Epub 2016 Mar 31. PMID: 27345309.
- Tasali E, Wroblewski K, Kahn E, Kilkus J, Schoeller DA. Effect of Sleep Extension on Objectively Assessed Energy Intake Among Adults With Overweight in Real-life Settings: A Randomized Clinical Trial. JAMA Intern Med. 2022 Apr 1. doi: 10.1001/jamainternmed.2021.8098. PMID: 35129580; PMCID: PMC8822469.
- Lee P, Smith S, Linderman J, Courville AB, Brychta RJ, Dieckmann W, Werner CD, Chen KY, Celi FS. Temperature-acclimated brown adipose tissue modulates insulin sensitivity in humans. Diabetes. 2014 Nov. doi: 10.2337/db14-0513. Epub 2014 Jun 22. PMID: 24954193; PMCID: PMC4207391.
- Westerterp KR. Diet-induced thermogenesis. Nutr Metab (Lond). 2004 Aug 1. doi: 10.1186/1743-7075-1-5. PMID: 15507147; PMCID: PMC524030.
- Soenen S, Westerterp-Plantenga MS. Proteins and satiety: implications for weight management. Curr Opin Clin Nutr Metab Care. 2008 Nov. doi: 10.1097/MCO.0b013e328311a8c4. PMID: 18827579.
- Aristizabal JC, Freidenreich DJ, Volk BM, Kupchak BR, Saenz C, Maresh CM, Kraemer WJ, Volek JS. Effect of resistance training on resting metabolic rate and its estimation by a dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry metabolic map. Eur J Clin Nutr. 2015 Jul. doi: 10.1038/ejcn.2014.216. Epub 2014 Oct 8. PMID: 25293431.
- Ibañez J, Izquierdo M, Argüelles I, Forga L, Larrión JL, García-Unciti M, Idoate F, Gorostiaga EM. Twice-weekly progressive resistance training decreases abdominal fat and improves insulin sensitivity in older men with type 2 diabetes. Diabetes Care. 2005 Mar. doi: 10.2337/diacare.28.3.662. PMID: 15735205.
- Sullivan Bisson AN, Robinson SA, Lachman ME. Walk to a better night of sleep: testing the relationship between physical activity and sleep. Sleep Health. 2019 Oct. doi: 10.1016/j.sleh.2019.06.003. Epub 2019 Jul 26. PMID: 31358470; PMCID: PMC6801055.
Kyle Hunt
Author