sometimes you can burn more calories when you are asleep than when you are just lying in bed. and it all has to do with our stages of sleep specifically rem sleep. during rem sleep your brain is more active than any other stage. in fact in some cases it is more active than when you are awake. this activity requires fuel for thought called glucose – the basic building block of most foods. in order to sleep better and lose weight: lose the snooze and set your alarm to tell you when to go to bed. use your alarm to help you know when to go bed to get the right amount of quality sleep. don’t use the snooze button to potentially interrupt those final minutes of rem sleep! take a quick nap if you are feeling drowsy in the middle of the day. drink one glass of water for every alcoholic beverage you drink and stop all alcohol 3 hours before your bed time alarm goes off. alcohol can help you fall asleep but will keep you out of the deep stages of sleep and rem sleep that you need to avoid sleep deprivation stop exercise four hours before bed. work out earlier in the evening and consider yoga deep breathing or stretching before bed. have your breakfast outside in the morning and get plenty of sunlight to help re-set your internal biological clock. sleep loss affects weight loss — from your ability to burn calories to the food choices you make. start with a commitment to sleeping better and you may find yourself a few pounds lighter without changing anything else.
do i burn calories while i’m sleeping?