Your body burns calories all the time, even while sleeping. Calories burned during sleeping hours are about 15% less than while awake. The average person burns approximately 50 to 70 calories per hour while sleeping or about 480 calories in eight hours, but the amount varies due to several factors.
While more calories are burned while awake, sleeping less is not a long-term strategy for weight loss. Getting better quality sleep and sleeping for an appropriate amount may help boost metabolism and improve overall weight management, Improving sleep and increasing muscle mass are ways to burn more calories while sleeping.
1. Increase Muscle Mass
Strength training is important for health in many ways. It may also increase basal metabolic rate (BMR), the number of calories needed daily to run the body’s functions. A higher BMR helps people burn more calories even when at rest.
A six-week study looked at the effect resistance training had on women. At the end of the study, BMR increased by approximately 250 calories a day.
2. Sleep More
A meta-analysis of many published studies showed that sleep was helpful for weight loss. People who slept for more hours and had good quality sleep lost more weight. Restricted sleep or interrupted sleep left people feeling hungrier.
Not getting enough sleep may counteract the effects of lowering calorie intake. People who didn’t sleep well and ate fewer calories had less success with weight loss.
3. Improve Sleep Quality
Quality sleep is important to how the body burns calories. Not getting enough sleep or getting fragmented sleep can negatively affect the way the body uses food for energy.
Poor sleep is associated with insulin resistance (cells do not respond to insulin to take in blood glucose for energy, causing blood sugar levels to rise), which may be the precursor to prediabetes (having blood sugar levels that are not quite high enough to be considered type 2 diabetes).
Good quality sleep may help support both metabolism and a healthy gut microbiome (the community of microbes in the gut that aid in digestion).
A night of missed sleep may mean more calories are burned on that particular day. But a chronic lack of sleep affects many body functions, and could lead to unintended weight gain. If also trying to lose weight by lowering daily calorie intake, sleeping less could even lead to less fat loss.
4. Eat Earlier in the Day
One meta-analysis examined how the timing of meals during the day affected daytime hunger and other factors involved in weight loss. The study compared two groups. One group ate meals at about 9 a.m., 1 p.m., and 5 to 6 p.m. The other group ate meals at about 1 p.m., 5 to 6 p.m., and 9 to 10 p.m.. Sleeping/bedtime was between 12 a.m. and 8 a.m.
The group that ate their meals earlier in the day had less hunger than the group that ate their meals later in the day. Also, people who ate later in the day stored more fat cells. The authors determined that the effects late-in-the-day eating has on the body could increase obesity risk in humans.
5. Eat a Diet Compatible With Improved Sleep
One study showed that food choices can also affect sleep quality. Eating more high-quality dairy and protein lowers the chance of having poor sleep. Including more foods considered “empty calories” (foods with calories but little nutritional value) increased the risk of poor sleep.
What Slows Down Calorie Burn During Sleep
Several factors change how many calories a person needs to run all their body systems and power activities like standing, walking, lifting, or carrying. This can include:
- Activity level (how much movement or exercise is done every day)
- Age
- Basal metabolic rate (how many calories are burned each day at rest)
- General health or any health conditions
- Height
- Muscle mass
- Pregnancy or lactation status
- Sex
- Weight
On average, sedentary women (meaning their activity level includes only that needed for day-to-day life) need between 1,600 and 2,000 calories a day, depending on age, to replace those their body burns each day. Sedentary men need between 2,000 and 2,400 calories a day, also depending on age.
Calculating Your BMR
One of the ways to estimate calories burned is called the basal metabolic rate (BMR). The body is always expending energy to run all its systems. To stay alive, a certain amount of calories is needed each day to manage everything from breathing to heart function.
The BMR is the measure of the calories needed every day to run the body’s functions. That is, if doing nothing else during the day (exerting no additional physical activity), you burn calories breathing, maintaining body temperature, circulating blood, and other functions.
Formulas can be used to estimate BMR. One such equation is called the Harris-Benedict equation and includes:
- For those assigned female at birth: BMR = 665.1 + (4.34 x weight in pounds) + (4.7 x height in inches) – (4.68 x age in years)
- For those assigned male at birth: BMR = 66.47 + (6.24 x weight in pounds) + (12.71 x height in inches) – (6.78 x age in years)
Daily BMR calories are burned in addition to calories expended from activity. How many calories you burn performing activities depends on many factors, including your weight and the type of activity.
How to Determine How Many Calories You Burn During Your Sleep
The BMR is the number of calories burned over a 24-hour period, assuming nothing else about activity level or health. The amount of calories burned while sleeping can be calculated by first determining the number of calories expended per hour of the day. This hourly energy expenditure can be calculated by dividing the total BMR by 24.
The amount of calories burned while sleeping is less than it is while awake. The amount it is decreased during sleep is thought to be by about 15%. Multiplying the hourly BMR number by 85% (0.85) can give the approximate amount of calories burned during one hour of sleep.
For the calories burned during a night of sleep, take the hourly sleeping calorie burn number and multiply it by the amount of hours sleeping.
The total amount of calories burned can be calculated with a formula that looks like this: (BMR/24) x (0.85) x (number of hours asleep).
It’s important to remember that these equations are estimates. Without a study done in a sleep lab, it’s not possible to know exactly how many calories any particular person burns, either awake or asleep.
Improving Overall Sleep Quality
You can take several steps to get better sleep. Studies show that in a broad sense, quality sleep is important to health, including giving the best chance of having decreased hunger in the daytime and improving BMR. Making changes to lifestyle to increase the odds of better sleep is called “sleep hygiene.”
The National Sleep Foundation offers these suggestions to help get better rest:
- Avoid alcohol and nicotine, which can cause nighttime waking.
- Avoid caffeine (soda, coffee, tea, energy drinks, chocolate) in the afternoon.
- Avoid eating for a few hours before bedtime (two or three hours).
- Block light from windows or other sources to keep the bedroom dark, which is especially important for those who do shift work and sleep during daylight hours.
- Get regular physical activity that includes low-impact exercise.
- Have a routine before bedtime that includes relaxation and not looking at screens.
- Keep the bedroom between 60 and 67 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Make sure the mattress and pillows are in good shape and comfortable.
- Try to sleep in a quiet environment, eliminating noise from outside sources by using earplugs or white noise or brown noise (a variety of calming background sounds based on frequency).
- Try to stick to a schedule to go to sleep and wake up at the same time every day.
Summary
People burn calories at all hours of the day, even when at rest or while sleeping. Fewer calories are needed for sleep. How many calories a person burns hourly at rest is variable and based on several factors that are not within your control, such as age, sex, height, and general health.
Getting good quality sleep is important to overall health and avoiding excess calorie intake during the day. Getting quality sleep, eating a diet that supports health, and including daily exercise may all help increase the amount of calories burned both while asleep and awake.
The Impact of Sleep on Caloric Burn and Weight Management
Understanding how your body burns calories not only while awake but also during sleep can inform your approach to effective weight management. It is estimated that the average individual expends approximately 50 to 70 calories per hour while sleeping. Factors influencing this number include body composition, age, and overall health.
How Sleep Influences Caloric Expenditure
While awake, caloric burn is typically higher than during sleep. However, enhancing sleep quality and practicing good sleep hygiene can boost metabolism and support weight management efforts. Rather than sacrificing sleep for calorie reduction, aim for optimal rest to maintain metabolic efficiency.
Strategies to Enhance Caloric Burn During Sleep
1. Increase Muscle Mass
Engaging in strength training can significantly influence your body’s basal metabolic rate (BMR) — the rate at which your body burns calories at rest. A study monitored women over six weeks and found that those who participated in resistance training increased their BMR by roughly 250 calories daily.
2. Prioritize Adequate Sleep
Research shows a strong connection between adequate sleep duration and successful weight loss. Longer, uninterrupted sleep improves metabolic health and can reduce feelings of hunger, making weight loss efforts more effective. Insufficient sleep can undermine dietary efforts, increasing hunger levels and diminishing fat loss potential.
3. Improve Sleep Quality
Quality of sleep plays a vital role in how effectively the body utilizes energy from food. Insufficient or fragmented sleep is associated with negative metabolic effects, including insulin resistance, which can be a precursor to prediabetes. Ensuring good sleep can also positively impact gut health and overall metabolism.
4. Eat Earlier in the Day
Meal timing is crucial for managing hunger and body weight. A meta-analysis indicated that individuals consuming meals earlier showed lower hunger levels compared to those who ate later. The later eating schedule was linked to an increased risk of fat storage, underscoring the benefits of having aligned meal timings with your body’s natural rhythms.
5. Choose a Sleep-Friendly Diet
Your diet can greatly influence sleep quality. Research suggests that consuming high-quality protein and dairy while minimizing “empty calories” can improve sleep. Opting for nutritious foods may support better sleep patterns, which in turn promotes a healthier metabolism.
Factors Affecting Calories Burned During Sleep
- Activity level
- Age and gender
- Overall health and any pre-existing conditions
- Height and weight
- Muscle mass and body composition
Sedentary women typically require between 1,600 to 2,000 calories daily, while sedentary men may need between 2,000 and 2,400 calories, depending on age and overall activity levels.
Calculating Your BMR
The basal metabolic rate (BMR) represents the number of calories your body needs to maintain basic physiological functions while at rest. To estimate your BMR, you can use the Harris-Benedict equation, which is classified by gender:
- For women: BMR = 665.1 + (4.34 x weight in lbs) + (4.7 x height in inches) – (4.68 x age in years)
- For men: BMR = 66.47 + (6.24 x weight in lbs) + (12.71 x height in inches) – (6.78 x age in years)
Once calculated, you can determine hourly caloric expenditure by dividing the total BMR by 24. When considering sleep, it is essential to adjust this figure to account for the lower caloric burn rate during rest.
Improving Sleep Hygiene for Better Sleep Quality
To enhance overall sleep quality, consider implementing the following strategies:
- Avoid stimulants like caffeine and nicotine in the afternoon.
- Limit food intake for several hours before bedtime.
- Maintain a consistent sleep schedule, going to bed and waking up at the same time each day.
- Create a conducive sleep environment — keep the room dark, quiet, and at a comfortable temperature.
- Incorporate relaxation techniques into your bedtime routine.
Conclusion
Your body continues to burn calories even during sleep. Although caloric burn is lower, making conscious choices about sleep quality, diet, and exercise can lead to improved metabolic rates and support weight loss goals. By prioritizing sleep and engaging in strength training, you can enhance the number of calories burned even while at rest.
