YOU might be lying still as you sleep, barely moving a muscle.
But during the eight hours or so that you spend in bed, your body is actually burning a considerable amount of calories.
Your basal metabolic rate, also known as your BMR, is the number of calories you burn at rest, simply doing nothing.
Because after all, your body is hard at work keeping you alive, digesting food, processing thoughts, feelings and emotions, and this requires energy, in the form of calories.
When you’re sleeping, your body is actually recovering from the day you’ve just lived and getting ready for the next day.
Again, this requires calories to be burnt.
Ian Budd, Clinical Lead for weight loss services MyBmi, explains that whilst there’s no magic solution to increase the number of calories you burn while you’re asleep, there are a few things you can do to raise your BMR.
“Your BMR usually accounts for around 80 per cent of your daily calorie burn,” he reveals.
Give these calorie-boosting hacks a try…
MORNING
1. Lift weights
Cardio exercise such as walking, running and cycling is great, but lifting weights is the key to raising your BMR as it helps to increase your muscle mass.
“Muscles require more energy to function than fat, and therefore burn more calories even at rest,” says Ian.
If you’ve never lifted weights, start with low weight and more repetitions. Why not commit to a once or twice-weekly class at your local gym?
Over time you can progress to lifting heavier weights, which is the key to growing muscle – and you don’t need a gym.
Resesarch has shown that people that exercise in the morning have a lower BMI and waist size – so set that alarm before work.
“Making sure you eat a balanced diet that will give your muscles the fuel they need while keeping your body at a healthy weight will also help to give your BMR a boost.”
DURING THE DAY
2. Pack in protein
Making sure each of your meals contains a generous helping of protein could help boost the overnight calorie burn.
“The thermic effect of food (TEF) refers to the energy required to digest, absorb, and metabolise the nutrients in the food you eat,” explains Amanda Place, Personal Trainer & Founder of Sculptrition.
“Protein has a higher TEF compared to carbohydrates and fats.”
Try adding chicken, turkey, fish, or plant-based options like tofu or legumes to your meals.
3. Sip green tea
According to research in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, three cups of green tea a day burns just over three per cent more calories overnight.
It might seem insignificant, but every little helps.
It’s all thanks to flavonoids found in green tea.
Plus, unlike caffeinated coffee which could keep you awake until the early hours, green tea also contains the amino acid l-theanine which has a calming effect.
IN THE EVENING
4. Breakfast like a king, dinner like a pauper
The old saying rings true.
Eating a large, high-calorie meal late at night has been found to be detrimental to weight loss, according to some research.
Stick to smaller, protein-rich foods before bed.
In fact, a protein-rich snack 30 minutes before bed has been found to potentially support metabolism and body composition (but probably only wise if you’ve had a light dinner).
The snack that scientists studied was cottage cheese, which you could have on crackers or with berries.
Try a scoop of casein protein powder before bed, mixed with water or milk, or opt for a couple of hard boiled eggs or some Greek yoghurt and berries.
Studies have found that casein, a slow-digesting type of protein, can keep you fuller for longer, reducing morning hunger.
Plus, because casein digests slowly throughout the night, your metabolism will remain high, maintaining an overnight calorie burn.
5. Prioritise quality sleep
Sleep in itself is a ticket to a leaner body.
Alison Jones, sleep expert at Sealy UK says: “You should always aim for seven to nine hours of good quality sleep each night.
“Poor sleep can disrupt your metabolism and alter hormonal regulation which over time can increase appetite.”
“This can create a vicious cycle where poor sleep leads to weight gain and metabolic disturbances, which can, in turn, make it more challenging to get good quality sleep.”
Ian says that certain stages of sleep can also be more effective at burning calories than others.
“Specifically, REM sleep requires more brain power and therefore uses more energy,” he says.
“Getting a good night’s sleep means that your body transitions through sleep cycles more effectively, meaning that you’ll be burning the optimal amount of energy while you rest.”
Having a bad night’s sleep affects what you eat the next day, increasing hormones that drive appetite while reducing those that make you feel full after eating.
6. Turn down the temperature
Like sleeping warm and cosy? It’s not recommended to keep the heating on at night for your energy bills, health or – you guessed it – weight.
“The temperature of a room can help your body burn more calories as it works to maintain a stable body temperature,” says Alison.
“Brown adipose tissue, or brown fat, is a type of fat that burns calories to generate heat.
“Unlike white fat, which stores energy, brown fat is metabolically active and contributes to calorie expenditure.
“Exposure to cooler temperatures while sleeping can stimulate the activity of brown fat, as it works to maintain your body temperature, leading to the burning of extra calories”
Research from the National Institutes of Health recommends turning down your heating to 19 degrees celsius as it burns an impressive seven per cent more calories.
7. Beat stress
When life gets overwhelming, it can have a big impact on our health and wellbeing with high stress levels leading to not only poor sleep, but also overeating.
Alison says that by managing stress, you can improve your sleep quality and increase the duration of your sleep.
“If you are a ‘stress eater’, managing stress can help you avoid going to bed on a full stomach.
“The discomfort of a full stomach can lead to a disturbed night’s sleep and can form a vicious cycle – more emotional eating, more restless sleep.”
Try practising stress-release techniques like meditation and deep breathing in a wind-down routine before bed.