If you’re looking to burn more fat while you sleep then there’s a new report that came out just a couple of months ago that has discovered some of the effects of getting a great nights sleep along with the downfalls of going sleep deprived. The study published in the Annals Of Internal Medicine studied two groups of people who were dieting to see which one would lose the most weight…the group that was sleep deprived or the group that had gotten a good nights sleep.
Now I’ll be the first to admit I rarely get to bed at a decent hour and I’ve gotten to the point where I set an alarm on my iPhone at 10:00pm for me to begin my pre-bedtime ritual. The 30 minutes before I go to bed I usually shut off all electronics, take a hot shower, pound a protein shake, write my to-do list for tomorrow and then read some fiction before finally falling asleep.
But the results of this sleep fat loss study were very interesting. They found that both groups had lost about the same amount of weight despite the total time they had slept, but not so fast. They found the group that actually slept a good 7-8 hours each night lost 48% of their weight from fat while the group that didn’t sleep so well lost only 20% of their weight from fat.
A big benefit they found to getting enough sleep each night was the low levels of hunger they experienced compared to the group that was sleep deprived. They found increased levels of the hormone ghrelin in the group that slept only 5.5 hours per night.
Ghrelin is hormone which we want to keep low for fat loss because having higher levels of it basically increases our hunger, slows our metabolism and reduces oxidation (burning) of fat.
So what are these scientists trying to say?
If you want to keep losing fat then you have to get enough sleep, there are no two ways about it. The group that they studied had gotten 8.5 hours of sleep every night but I recommend getting no less than 7 and no more than 9 hours.
Sleep is good for weight loss and without it you’re going to have a hard time getting the body you want.
Sleeping Longer Makes You Look Hot
Scientists in Sweden just finished a research study comparing the attractiveness of well-rested people versus those that didn’t get enough sleep.
The clear winner?
The 65 random observers found the well-rested men and women to look far more healthier and attractive then the group that didn’t get enough sleep each night. In fact, they found 80% of people who didn’t get enough sleep looked unhealthy and less attractive in the eyes of others.
Sleep Longer = Look Hotter
Here are a few tips to burn fat while you sleep
- Go to bed early. I try to get in by 10:30pm and I usually wake up around 6:00am. I’m not sure if the whole circadium rhythms thing is real or not but I know from my experience that the earlier I go to bed the better I feel the next day despite how early I have to get up. If you have to set an alarm to hold yourself accountable. But whatever time you do go to sleep and wakeup, make sure it’s consistent throughout most of the week.
- No electronics before bed. Besides being an obvious distraction, synthetic light from screens along with the electronics electromagnetic waves can affect your sleeping patterns, so shut down your TV/computer/iPhone 30 minutes before bed.
- Black out your room. Make sure there is no light in your room (unless you’re afraid of the boogie man!) and you’re sleeping in complete darkness. If you work the late shift and can’t get to bed at a decent hour then were an eye mask instead.
- Exercise. I probably don’t have to say this to most of you, but try to break a sweat everyday.
- Read some fiction before bed. Bust out the Harry Potter and read away for 15 minutes until you’re ready to pass out. A tip I picked up from Tim Ferriss was to stay away from non-fiction because it’ll cause you to future project and you’re mind will just keep going in circles.
- Set your room temperature somewhere between 60-68 degrees fahrenheit. Studies have found that this is the optimal sleeping temperature range.
- Avoid caffeine at night and late in the afternoon. This is pretty obvious, to get your caffeine fix try to do it before 12 noon or spend the night counting sheep and staring at the ceiling.
Oh yeah one more thing… this sleep study had people who were dieting. So don’t start sleeping 10 hours at a time and hope you’ll burn more fat by just doing that. Make sure you’re eating right in addition to getting enough sleep.
Josh holds a Bachelor’s degree in Exercise Physiology and Nutrition Science. He’s a Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist (CSCS) by the National Strength and Conditioning Association and he’s a Certified Personal Trainer (CPT) by American Council on Exercise. He’s worked as a Strength and Conditioning Coach at the high school and college levels. He has over 15 years of experience as a personal trainer and nutrition coach. He strives to bring inspiration and results for people to live healthier lives through smart diet and exercise.
