During the night your body burns between 300 and 400 calories! This almost equals the amount of energy you waste on an hour-long run. Experts claim that quality sleep can contribute to weight loss, just like physical exercises. If you want to make it work, it is important to adhere to certain habits that can boost your metabolism in your sleep.
We became curious to find out what these habits are. Here are some tips that you may find useful if you want to lose weight with the minimum effort.
1. Get cold.
Experts recommend keeping your bedroom temperature around 18°C (64.4°F) at night to boost your metabolism. Studies have shown that a cooler environment activates the beige fat cells, which are responsible for thermoregulation. When you sleep in a cold room or sleep naked, your body starts burning more energy to maintain heat. This is why you may find yourself skinnier in the morning.
2. Sip some grape juice.
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Grape juice helps to burn calories thanks to a special substance called resveratrol. It converts bad white fat into beige fat. When you sleep, your body uses beige fat to keep you warm. Thus, having a cup of grape juice before you go to bed will force you to get rid of excess grease instead of storing it. Go for fresh juices to avoid unnecessary sugar intake.
3. Go to bed and wake up at the same time.
An unregulated sleep schedule is linked to excessive weight gain, studies say. Normally it’s the hormone melatonin that tells us when to go to bed. It also helps activate beige fat cells that help to burn calories.
If your regime is inconsistent, you interfere with melatonin production and deprive yourself of quality sleep. As a result, you might feel weary in the morning and crave high-calorie snacks to boost your energy. If you want to avoid this, go to bed and wake up at the same time every day.
4. Hide your gadgets at night.
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An unstable routine is not the only thing that disturbs melatonin production. Excessive light from our gadgets is another reason we can’t sleep properly. It has been proven that blue light from our smartphones delays melatonin production. Therefore, it takes you longer to fall asleep and you wake up tired.
Try to avoid gadgets for 2 hours before you go to bed and put their screens into night mode. Replace a tablet with a paper book, and you will soon feel the melatonin calling you to sleep.
5. Have a protein snack.
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There’s nothing wrong with snacking before you go to bed if you do it right. Go for foods that are rich in protein, like Greek yogurt, low-fat cottage cheese, lean turkey, or peanut butter. They will increaseyour metabolic rate and help your muscles grow.
6. Do resistance training.
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Physical exercise is the best way to shake off the stress and boost your metabolism before you go to bed. Both cardio and aerobic workouts have been proven to be efficient, however resistance training is the one that helps you to burn fat.
Swimming or weight lifting might be the best late night solution. They don’t get you too worked up but at the same time stimulate calorie burn, which will last even after you fall asleep.
7. Drink herbal tea.
Certain types of tea can help you lose weight at night. And no, we’re not talking about dubious diet teas, which promise you magical results in one night. Natural herbal teas can actually improve your health in different ways and even make you more fit. Cinnamon combats inflammation and prevents bloating in the morning. Peppermint reduces appetite and helps you to avoid snacking. And chamomile improves digestion and relaxes your nerves.
Starting these rituals may actually help you to stay thinner but they won’t work miracles unless you exercise and eat healthy during the day. Tell us in the comments which of these factors surprised you most of all.
