How many calories do we burn while we sleep? Here’s how much we consume during the night

How many calories do we burn at night while we sleep? A good sleep, at least 7-8 hours per night, in addition to favoring psycho-physical recovery, would help us consume calories. Our body remains active during the night, even if it does not seem so: but how many calories do we really burn? Let's find out more.

How many calories do we burn at night while we sleep? A good sleep, at least 7-8 hours per night, in addition to favoring psycho-physical recovery, would help us consume calories. During the night, in fact, our body remains active, even if it does not seem so: the organism works for cells repair and growth, and the brain discards useless information received during the day, we also dream, we turn over in the sheets and, in some cases, we even talk. These are actions that show us how our body continues to work: but how many calories do we really burn? Let's find out more.

How many hours you need to sleep to burn calories and factors to consider

Doctors suggest sleeping 7 to 8 hours per night: this would be the number of hours that would allow the hormones that regulate hunger and satiety, respectively ghrelin and leptin, to remain in balance. In 8 hours of sleep about 50 kcal per hour are consumed, for a total of 400 kcal per night. In addition to the duration of sleep, the calories burned also depend on the muscle mass: those with more muscle mass will consume more calories. The consumption of calories during the night therefore depends on a series of factors, among the most relevant there is certainly age: young people have more muscle mass and a faster metabolism, compared to the elderly ones, and for this they burn more calories, like we have already said. But sex is also an important factor: women consume fewer calories during the night, precisely because they have less muscle mass than men.

Useful tips to consume more calories during the night

However, there are some tips to increase energy consumption that can give an extra boost, especially in the case of slow metabolism: the ideal would be to lower the room temperature, so the body will be forced to produce more energy to warm up, thus also increasing the number of calories burned. In the evening, light meals that contain proteins are essential. These chains of amino acids require more time to be digested, subjecting the body to more intense work.

In particular, casein, is the slowest digestion protein, and it is contained in yogurt and cottage cheese: two ideal snacks, therefore, before going to bed. In addition to proteins, carbohydrates are also important because they stimulate the thyroid hormone that activates the metabolism. Even doing regular physical exercise during the day can help, because it promotes the consumption of calories and it makes digestion easier. Instead, before going to bed, the recommended activity is yoga, because it promotes relaxation.

Also important is the routine for going to bed, perhaps reading a book, taking a hot bath or drinking a relaxing herbal tea. Going to sleep at about the same time, then, will help you program your biological clock, allowing you to more easily follow your routine. Remember though that sleeping over 8 hours, thinking of burning more calories, is useless: the hours spent standing help us to burn many more calories.