It is, of course, everyone’s dream to lose weight in their sleep. And this is not at all unrealistic. Even though we don’t burn as many calories when we sleep at night as we do when we exercise, for example, the total energy consumption is not to be sneezed at. After all, we sleep an average of eight hours a day and during this time the body actually burns calories – so anyone can lose weight healthily.
How does slimming in your sleep work?
1. Lose weight healthily via the metabolism
Anyone who has ever stood on the scales in the morning and looked in the mirror will have noticed that they are not only a little lighter, but also feel firmer.
The lost weight is initially due to the loss of water during the night. We lose an average of half a litre of water every night! However, this water loss must be compensated for during the day by drinking enough water.
The influence of the biorhythm is more decisive when it comes to getting slim in your sleep: While we rest at night in order to gain new energy for the next day, our body works and loses weight. Our regeneration metabolism is responsible for the firmer tissue overnight. It repairs the cells, regenerates muscle, cartilage, protein and bone structures, filters toxins and cleanses the cells of metabolic products. And the hormone needs energy for all these activities. The hormone obtains this energy from the fat stored in adipose tissue. To do this, our body needs rest and relief, i.e. sufficient sleep.
So if you make sure that your metabolism can do its job in peace at night by getting plenty of sleep, you promote
- the burning of fat
- lymphatic drainage
- and the tightening of connective tissue.
2. Lose weight through sleep duration without dieting
How long you sleep can determine how many calories you consume. Basically, too little sleep makes you hungry. In addition, the metabolism starts to work just 1.5 hours after falling asleep. Therefore, the following applies to the slim while sleeping principle: the earlier you go to bed, the longer your metabolism can work and burn fat, allowing you to lose weight successfully without dieting.
Scientific studies have also shown that late sleepers mainly lose unwanted fat during a diet. However, those who sleep little lose important muscle mass. The scientists attribute this result to the fact that short sleepers produce more of the appetite-stimulating hormone ghrelin. It curbs energy metabolism and prevents fat stores from being broken down.
After dinner, you should therefore also make sure to wind down early and refrain from exciting activities or entertainment. Rituals that contribute to relaxation, such as reading books and listening to music, help here.
3. Lose weight successfully with a healthy lifestyle
So it really is possible to lose weight while you sleep. However, getting plenty of sleep alone is not enough to live a healthy life and maintain or lose weight. Instead, you need to combine your sleeping behaviour with the basics of a healthy lifestyle: consciously relieving the digestive system, a balanced diet and sufficient sport and exercise sessions. After all, healthy weight loss is always linked to a healthy lifestyle.
Therefore it is recommended:
- Don’t eat anything late in the evening: If you eat a heavy meal just before going to bed, your body will be so busy digesting food in the first few hours that it won’t have time to regenerate.
- In the evening, focus mainly on protein-rich foods: Protein is a natural fat burner, while carbohydrates act as a source of energy in the body and are converted into sugar. However, as you don’t need any additional energy during your night’s sleep, the body stores it in the form of fat deposits for later.
- Do sport or exercise in the evening. An alternating training programme with endurance, muscle building and regeneration training is important here.
