- The human body is always burning calories, even at rest. That’s because everyone uses a minimum amount of energy for essential functions like breathing and digestion.
- While asleep, you burn around 40 to 55 calories per hour of sleep. With seven hours of sleep, the number can range from 280 to 385 calories.
- Anything that increases your BMR also increases the number of calories you’ll burn while sleeping. Having more muscle mass increases “around-the-clock calorie burn.”
- Getting at least seven hours of sleep a night and good quality sleep will also improve the number of calories that you consistently burn overnight.
YOU PROBABLY DON’T think of sleep as a time to burn calories. But the truth is your body is always burning some, no matter what you’re doing—and that includes being sprawled out across your bed sleeping.
During total inactivity or sleep, the body’s basal metabolic rate (BMR) reflects the number of calories your body needs at rest to carry out basic functions. Think of BMR as the absolute minimum energy needed for essential physiological functions to keep you alive, says Alex Rothstein, C.S.C.S., coordinator and instructor for the exercise science program at the New York Institute of Technology. This ranges from breathing and circulation to digestion and cellular repair.
While you will burn some calories as you sleep, it won’t rival what you would lose from a HIIT or powerlifting workout. But it will add to it. Several factors come into play that influence that number, including how much you weigh, how active you are, and how well you’re sleeping. Here’s what to know.
How Many Calories Do You Burn While Sleeping?
TYPICALLY, YOU’LL BURN 40 to 55 calories per hour of sleep. That might not sound like a lot, but the numbers quickly add up. Sleep seven hours a night, and you’re waking up to a 280-to-385-calorie burn. (There is a stark difference when you get six hours of shut-eye versus seven).
Of course, calorie burns vary from person to person. Some people have higher BMRs than others. Exercise and building muscle can raise it, while weight gain can lower it. Medical conditions and medications might affect it, too.
Now if you’re looking to lose weight, don’t rely solely on overnight calorie burn. Psychiatrist and sleep medicine physician Alex Dimitriu, MD, says that generally the body burns about 15 percent fewer calories when you’re asleep versus awake. You’ll even burn more calories while lounging around than sleeping, since you’re moving around some and using muscles. Instead, think of calorie burn while asleep as the cherry on top to your diet and exercise plan.
How to Increase Your Calorie Burn While Asleep
ANYTHING THAT INCREASES your BMR also increases the number of calories you’ll burn while sleeping.
Having more muscle mass increases “around-the-clock calorie burn,” says Dr. Dimitriu. Your physical activity level and the foods you eat also affect BMR, adds Rothstein. Even better is a regular workout routine that can do wonders for your sleep overall.
Getting at least seven hours of sleep a night and good quality sleep will also improve the number of calories that you burn overnight. Here are some tips for improving sleep hygiene:
- Set a schedule: Go to bed and wake up at the same time each day, even on weekends.
- Establish a bedtime routine: Read a book, meditate, or listen to relaxing music to wind down.
- Avoid screens: Turn off noisy TVs and avoid scrolling through your phone before dozing off, which might keep you up.
- Create a calming space: Make sure your bedroom is quiet and comfortable. A room temperature of 67 degrees is ideal for sleeping. Make sure the room is dark and that your bedding is soft and cozy.
- Skip alcohol and caffeine in the evening: These substances disrupt your sleep, so avoid them a few hours before bedtime.
- Don’t eat before bed: Finish your meals and snacks about three hours before bedtime; otherwise, it could disrupt your sleep.
An additional word of advice: make sure you treat any health or sleep conditions. Dr. Dimitriu says some people with sleep apnea can technically burn more calories while asleep. They exert more effort to breathe, but this extra calorie burn gets negligible when the body is constantly waking up. Sleep disruption often leads to more weight gain and health problems.
“People with sleep disruption for any reason ranging from poor bedtime habits to shift work to sleep apnea will all have negative impacts on their metabolism,” he says. This may be evident during the day when you’re craving high-carb foods and constantly feeling hungry.
Sleep Affects Weight Beyond the Nighttime Calorie Burn
WHEN IT COMES to weight and sleep, it’s not just about how many calories you burn as you snooze. There are other important ways that sleep affects your weight. When it comes to keeping the pounds in check, both the quality and quantity of your sleep are important.
A constant lack of Z’s wreaks havoc on your hunger hormones, upping the amount of the appetite-stimulating ghrelin and decreasing the appetite-suppressing leptin in the body.
Good sleep boosts daytime metabolism, controls appetite, and improves the quality of foods that you’re likely to choose. Dr. Dimitriu says people who don’t get enough deep sleep are often hungrier during the day and may choose more calorie-dense food.
Use of glucose, or the fuel your body uses for energy, is highest when you’re awake, lowest during deep sleep, and intermediate during REM sleep, which is the phase when you dream, he explains.
Sleep affects other weight-regulating hormones as well. “Sleep deprivation, even short-term, can result in insulin and glucose imbalances,” says Kuljeet Gill, MD, a sleep medicine specialist at Northwestern Medicine. Lack of sleep can also affect how balanced cortisol and your thyroid hormones are.
“While it is true that you can burn more calories being awake, the impact of getting sufficient sleep is much larger,” Dr. Dimitriu says. “Insufficient sleep time has been linked to obesity as well as diabetes due to the metabolic disturbance that results from poor or insufficient sleep.”
A good night’s rest is critical to all physiological functions, and not getting the right amount can be detrimental. It can even affect your workouts.
Sleep “influences everything from how you perceive your workout, how tired it is making you, or how focused you are on form, to how much endurance and strength you have,” says Rothstein. “It then influences how well you recover from the workout in order to adapt and come back stronger and more resilient.”
Rozalynn S Frazier is an award-winning, multimedia journalist, and certified personal trainer living in New York City. She has created content for SELF, Health, Essence, Runner’s World, Money, Reebok, Livestrong, and others.
Erica Sweeney is a writer who mostly covers health, wellness and careers. She has written for The New York Times, HuffPost, Teen Vogue, Parade, Money, Business Insider and many more.
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