As we all know, reducing tummy fat depends primarily on your diet and exercise daily. You have a healthy diet and moderation; tummy fat is always away from you. These two main factors can complement each other in an obvious way, that is when you eat a little bit and increase your workout time, or you have a strict diet, you can reduce it ultimately.
Does Sleeping Really Help You Lose Weight?
Recently, an epidemiological study was carried out to obtain evidence of whether short sleep duration is linked to obesity in adults and children. The research concludes by providing proof of an increase in the likelihood of weight gain among adults and children who received less than seven hours of sleep at night. (Michelle A. Miller, 2008)Â This suggests that a good night’s sleep is in fact the crucial ingredient for weight loss. / Best sleeping position for a flat tummy
8 Ways to Lose Weight In Your Sleep
1. Selective Eating
Certain food types will help you lose weight while you sleep, such as citrus fruits, whole grains, legumes, and dairy foods. You can read What foods to eat to lose belly fat The fiber and vitamin C in fruits help stimulate the body’s fat-burning ability, so eating various these and consuming fresh juices will help.
The proteins and complex carbohydrates in legumes, whole grains, and dairy also take longer to digest and will, thus, burn more calories even without you having to move around.
2. Have green tea before bed
Green tea might actually be more sleep-friendly than you think, even though it contains caffeine. Green tea contains a number of compounds that can help you burn fat. Antioxidants like ECGC can help you improve your metabolism. Caffeine, too, helps in stimulating the brown fat in your body. Green tea only contains one-third of the caffeine present in a cup of coffee.
3. Lying On Your Stomach
When you sleep in a prone position, putting the abdomen on the bed, the entire weight of the back will put pressure on your stomach and block the abdomen where there is volume — excess fat accumulation.
4. Lie On Your Back
This sleeping pose is relaxed and appropriate for most people. It does not prevent belly fat from lying on your back while sleeping, however, it also helps to boost the situation of the stomach pressure and facial skin in order to form wrinkles.
You should do this a little workout before you go to bed. It takes about 5 minutes to perform each activity. Note that this procedure should not be used by people with spinal disorders.
Note: Do not maintain this sleeping position prone to lose belly fat throughout the night because it can affect parts of the body such as: pinched the heart, causing chest tightness, shortness of breath, obstructing the process of circulation, and exchange metabolism.
You should only lie on your stomach to reduce belly fat if you feel comfortable and balance the other lying posture after 2-4 hours.
5. Fasting The Night If You Can
Just eat light and don’t overeat at night, but you shouldn’t starve yourself either. Having a large meal at night may lead to indigestion, which can interfere with your sleep, and you end up feeling tired and sluggish when you wake up.
6. Eat whole grains at lunch
You know to avoid big meals, coffee, colas, and alcohol before bed, but did you know that it’s best to eat your complex carbohydrates at lunchtime, not with dinner? “Serotonin converts to melatonin in your stage 3 REM sleep, and serotonin is sourced from whole-grain complex carbohydrates. So you don’t need to have carbs before bed to sleep, just have them at some point through the day.
7. Sleep, Naked
This might sound like a crazy idea, however, it has been proven to be a pretty effective aid for your weight loss journey. Sleeping cooler helps burn calories, however, an air conditioner is not the only way to drop your room’s temperature. A feasible way is to sleep naked.
We all know how clothes trap heat and keep us warm. Since staying warm isn’t really sleep-friendly, simply take off your clothes while sleeping and ensure that your body keeps burning calories while you sleep soundly.
8. Exercising 3 hours before bedtime
Exercising at any time of the day is linked with a good night’s sleep, however, an exhaustive workout just before you hop into the bed can cause you to get alert and prevent you from a deep sleep. Therefore, in case the night is the only time of the day you can squeeze in a workout, make sure you do it at least 3 hours before you lay down. After all, a late-night workout is way better than no workout at all.
Is It Bad to Sleep on Your Stomach?
Is it bad to sleep on your stomach? The short answer is “yes.” Although sleeping on your stomach can reduce snoring and diminish sleep apnea, it’s also taxing for your back and neck. That can lead to poor sleep and discomfort throughout your day. If you’re pregnant, you should be especially careful about your sleeping position and avoid sleeping on your stomach if you can.
2 Best sleeping position for a flat tummy
1. Sleeping On The Stomach – Prone Position
Prone position, or sleeping on the stomach means lying horizontally on the stomach, with the head on the pillow or the bed. The prone sleeping position is generally considered to be one of the worst, due to its effects on the pressure points in the body.
However, this sleeping position has a lot of benefits as well. For example, it can be useful in the terms of lower back pain, or even if you’re dealing with sleep-related obstructive breathing.
But, did you know that sleeping on the stomach can help you fight belly fat? Experts believe that by sleeping on the stomach, the weight of your body puts additional pressure on the belly area, blocking the abdomen and preventing excess fat accumulation. However, to prevent the prone sleeping position from affecting
your health negatively, we recommend the following;
- Try not to sleep on your stomach for the whole night. It is enough to spend 2 to 4 hours in the prone position to achieve the slimming effects.
- Try to mix between the side sleeping position and the prone position. This way you will avoid chest tightness, breathing obstruction, and obstruction of proper blood flow throughout the body.
- While sleeping on the stomach, try to use a properly supportive pillow for the head and neck area. This way you’ll prevent neck strain and neck pain in the morning.
- If you’re not used to sleeping on the stomach, we recommend you try lying on the stomach every night for at least a few minutes, until you feel comfortable in the position.
2. Sleeping On The Back – Supine Position
Sleeping on the back, or supine sleeping position is one of the healthiest ways to sleep. This implies lying horizontally on the back, with the legs straight or slightly elevated. (Best sleeping position for a flat tummy )
The supine sleeping position is excellent for people who experience back pain issues, knee and leg pain, and who generally want to have a proper spinal alignment during sleep.
But, how is the supine sleeping position good for belly fat loss? Well, while lying on the back, the body has a tougher time transforming the food and the drinks you consume into fat; instead, it converts everything you consume into energy or promotes it to leave the body.
Here’s what we recommend for an improved and even more effective supine position for belly fat loss;
- When lying on the back, make sure to place a pillow under your knees, so they’re a little bent. This will remove the pressure from the lower back, as well as the pressure from the stomach.
- .If you have a hard time lying on the back, try spending a few minutes on the back before you go to sleep.
- This way you’ll become more comfortable with this position, and eventually start sleeping on the back.
- If you experience respiratory issues while in a supine position, we recommend proper head and torso elevation. This won’t affect the belly loss process but will ensure you sleep comfortably and breathe without obstructions while sleeping.
How Can I Use Sleep To Burn Calories And Lose Weight?
Apart from the fat burning supplements we’re about to recommend to you, here are some ways you can train yourself into getting better sleep, and lose weight in the process;
Avoid blue light exposure before sleep; turn off the TV, the laptop, and your phone before bedtime, because the blue light these gadgets emit reduces melatonin production and makes you feel awake.
Avoid drinking alcohol and eating unhealthy or spicy food before sleep. This will hinder the fat-burning effect because the body will be focused on dealing with the additional fat and alcohol you just consumed.
Try to sleep in a dark room, which is also quiet and cool. Sleeping in such an environment will promote melatonin production, help the body regulate the hunger hormone, and promote weight loss. (Best sleeping position for a flat tummy )
Try to exercise during the day, so that you get a little bit tired and sleepy on time. Exercise is known to promote better sleep quality in people who are trying to lose weight. Not to mention that physical activity promotes weight loss itself.
Consider sleep and weight loss supplements (like the ones we recommend in the following paragraphs). These supplements often contain sleep-inducing ingredients (like melatonin), as well as weight loss-inducing compounds, which are often natural.
What is BMR?
It is essential for the body to use energy continuously for maintenance and to function correctly. Although the body burns some of its calories through physical activity, basal metabolism accounts for around 80% of all energy expenditure.
Basal metabolism refers to all of the processes that keep the body alive, functioning, and healthy. These include:
- breathing
- blood circulation
- cellular growth and repair
- brain and nerve function
- temperature control
These metabolic processes require a constant supply of energy, so the body is always burning calories, even when a person is resting or sleeping.
BMR is the number of calories that the body burns every 24 hours due to basal metabolism. Essentially, it is how many calories a person would use in a day if they just rested and did no physical activity. (Best sleeping position for a flat tummy )
Many different factors affect BMR, including age, body size, sex, and genetics. For this reason, everyone’s BMR is different.
How Many Calories Do You Burn While You Sleep?
As a very approximate number, we burn around 50 calories an hour while we sleep. However, every person burns a different amount of calories during sleep, depending on their personal basal metabolic rate (BMR).
The basal metabolic rate refers to the energy needed for essential functions such as breathing, circulation, temperature regulation, and cellular growth and repair. In most people, the basal metabolic rate accounts for approximately 80% of the total calories burned in a day. The brain itself burns glucose for energy, accounting for about 20% of the calories we consume while at rest.
Sleep is a time for the body to repair and regenerate In order to do this more effectively, our body temperature drops, our breathing slows, and our metabolism lowers. On average most people burn about 15% fewer calories while sleeping, compared with their basal metabolic rate during the day.
How to Burn More Calories During Sleep
As it turns out, there are a few ways to increase your calorie burn while you sleep. The first key is to get a better night’s rest, ensuring you have REM (rapid eye movement) periods in your sleep cycle. This is when your brain is most active and burns the most calories. This is because your brain is burning more oxygen when it’s working hard during this sleep cycle.
Will Exercise Help Burn Calories During Sleep?
Exercise is important to maintaining a healthy body weight, and it can improve your sleep quality. That said, exercising that day won’t actually help you burn more calories while you’re sleeping (but maintaining an active lifestyle regularly can affect your BMR in a positive way).
Frequently Asked Questions
How many calories do you naturally burn in a day?
The number of calories your body needs daily depends on your age, biological gender, and average lifestyle activity. Women who work desk jobs and exercise very little usually burn 1,600 calories per day. On the other hand, men who lead sedentary lifestyles and exercise minimally usually burn around 2,000 calories per day. But even things as little as tapping your toes can burn calories. The best way to naturally burn calories? Adding movement into daily activities, like choosing to walk vs drive.
Do you burn more calories sleeping or awake?
You burn more calories when you’re awake because your body is moving and you use energy to accomplish everything in your daily routine. As we discussed throughout, you can also burn calories as you sleep, but you’ll burn more when you’re up and active.
How many hours should I sleep to lose weight?
You do not need to sleep more or less than what’s recommended to lose weight. When planning your sleep schedule, you should base it on CDC guidelines and pencil in the necessary hours of sleep recommended for your age group. Adults should get between 7 to 9 hours of sleep each night. (Best sleeping position for a flat tummy )
Also read: Best Nuts For Weight Loss: These 7 Nuts Can Help You Loss Weight
How can I lose weight by sleeping?
The best way to leverage your time spent sleeping to burn more calories is to invest in better rest. Limit blue light exposure, remove distractions and clutter from the bedroom, eat a healthy, small meal in the hours before bed, plan exercise in the morning or afternoon so as not to impede sleep, and practice good sleep hygiene. Making healthy movement choices regularly during the day will also contribute to a higher BMR.
Also read: Benefits Of Good Night’s Sleep: Reasons Why Sleep Is Important