How Many Calories Do You Burn Sleeping 

If you’re trying to find ways to burn more calories, consider your night-time routine. Studies show mental activity comprises about 20% of your resting metabolic rate, or the calories you burn without physically moving. Your brain continues to do this while you sleep. In fact, your brain is working just as hard during REM sleep as it is while you’re awake. 

So how many calories do you burn sleeping? As it turns out, there are an array of factors. In this post, sleep expert Jasmin Lee at eachnight.com breaks down everything you need to know to boost the number of calories you burn each night asleep. 

How Many Calories Do You Burn Sleeping? 

To determine the number of calories you burn while sleeping, there are a few steps.  

The first thing to determine is your Basal Metabolic Rate or BMR. Also known as your body’s metabolism, BMR is the number of calories needed to keep your body functioning at rest. 

BMR varies based on an individual’s weight, gender, and age. Another factor when calculating your basal metabolic rate is your average daily movement. That means how much you’re regularly moving. Unfortunately, a one-time workout won’t provide an accurate metabolic rate change in your calculation. 

When you’re sleeping, your body’s basal metabolic rate is 85-95% of your normal rate during the day. To find out how many calories your body needs during sleep, we’ll need to do some calculations. First, determine your daily BMR (there are many online calculators). Since this is for a 24-hour day, divide this number by 24 for your hourly metabolic rate. Then multiply that by .85 (since your body functions at 85% during sleep). Multiply that by the number of hours slept. And there you have it — calories burned while sleeping. Here’s the formula: 

BMR ÷ 24= hourly BMR 

Hourly BMR × .85 × hours slept = calories burned while sleeping 

Average Calories Burned During 8 Hours of Sleep 

 
If you don’t like math, not to worry. Examining some average numbers can be a good place to start. Consider these examples for calories burned during eight hours of sleep: 

• 30-year-old, 110 lb female: 406 calories 
• 30-year-old, 180 lb male: 601 calories 
• 50-year-old, 110 lb female: 376 calories 
• 50-year-old, 180 lb male: 558 calories 
• 40-year-old, 130 lb female: 424 calories 
• 40-year-old, 200 lb male: 619 calories 
•  

As you can see, the amount of calories burned decreases with age and increases with body weight. Metabolism slows with age, so it comes as no surprise that we see a decrease in caloric burn. A larger person’s body will also burn more calories to function. 

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. 

How to Get More REM Sleep 

We all know that a better night’s rest is important for body function, mental health, and even weight loss. More REM sleep can lead to burning extra calories while you sleep. Here are a few tips to improve sleep quality: 

• Invest in the best mattress for your needs to promote a more comfortable, deeper night’s sleep. 
• Keep to a schedule so you go to bed and wake up at the same time every day. 
• Exercise 20-30 minutes a day. But don’t exercise within a few hours of going to sleep. 
• Avoid caffeine in the evening hours. 
• Shut off bright lights and digital glow, and put your phone on silent. Don’t watch TV in bed. Reading a print book or magazine is much better than scrolling on your phone, tablet, or another device with stimulating blue lights. In a Harvard study, it took participants an average of 10 minutes longer to fall asleep using an e-book reader versus a print book. This is because the light emitted from your screen causes your body to suppress the hormone melatonin, which is vital to falling asleep. 
• If you can’t get to sleep, don’t just lay in bed awake. Move to the couch and read until you’re tired. 

Turn Down the Thermostat 

Another way to burn more calories during sleep is to turn down the thermostat or sleep in light pajamas. Cooler temperatures will force your body to work a little harder to stay warm. 

In a study led by Dr. Francesco Celi of Virginia Commonwealth University, a group of five healthy male subjects slept in rooms of varying temperatures for one month each. Rooms were 75 °F (24°C) the first month, followed by 66 °F (18.9°C)  for the next month, and finally 81 °F (27.2°C). During the coldest month, participants saw a 10% increase in metabolic activity. 

According to a recent study, 20°C is an ideal sleeping temperature. 

That said, you might not get a good night’s sleep if you’re uncomfortably cold, so don’t freeze yourself out. According to a recent study, 20°C is an ideal sleeping temperature. 

Will Exercise Help Burn Calories During Sleep? 

Exercise is important to maintaining 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). 

Sleep and Your Health 

Now that you know better sleep will help you burn more calories while you rest, it’s no surprise that a poor night’s sleep can have the opposite effect. A Cleveland study examined 3055 men and 3052 women between the ages of 67 and 96 and 70 and 99, respectively. 

Compared to those who slept between seven and eight hours each night, men who slept less than five hours were nearly four times more likely to be obese. Women who slept less than five hours each night were more than twice as likely to be obese as their well-rested counterparts. 

Short sleep length was also associated with increased body fat. Plus, people who are chronically sleep-deprived are more likely to be overweight, have cardiovascular disease, strokes, infections, and even some types of cancer compared to those who get enough sleep. 

It should also be noted that sleep disturbances are more common among those suffering from age-related neurological disorders like Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s disease. Researchers aren’t sure yet which comes first — disorders leading to loss of sleep or loss of sleep leading to disorders. 

Bottom line: Your body needs a good night’s sleep to function properly. If you’ve tried tips for improving your sleep and still can’t get enough shut-eye, you may have a sleep disorder. 

Consult your healthcare provider if you have persistent sleep deprivation. They may recommend a polysomnogram or sleep study. It will collect data like your oxygen levels, breathing, limb, and eye movements. These results can help doctors develop a treatment plan or suggest further testing. 

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. 

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. 

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. 

Can oversleeping cause weight gain? 

Too little and too much sleep can impact your metabolism and lead to weight gain. You want to get the recommended hours of sleep to keep all internal processes functioning as they should. When your body is healthy, you can maintain a healthy weight. Carlene Thomas, RDN, LD, notes, “Oversleeping can contribute to weight gain, since your hours upright and moving are likely decreased in a 24 hour period.” 

Sleep Better to Burn More Calories 

We’ve done the math, and people can burn anywhere between 300 and 700 calories each night. To increase this number, try sleeping in a cool dark room around 20 degrees. This will help you burn more calories to maintain your body temperature. 

Physical activity during the day can also help you sleep better at night. You burn the most calories during REM sleep, so make sure your sleep cycle is getting you into this stage. 

Lack of sleep, on the other hand, can lead to weight gain and may contribute to other health issues such as cardiovascular disease and even cancer. If you’re struggling to get those eight hours each night, try keeping to a regular sleep schedule and limiting electronic and television use before bed. If this still doesn’t work, consult your doctor to see if you are suffering from a sleep disorder. 

Further information can be found at eachnight.com.