It’s common to focus all your efforts on achieving a high metabolic rate while awake, only to forget about your metabolism while you sleep. Sleeping doesn’t mean that you’re shutting off altogether. In fact, you burn more calories during a restful sleep than you do sitting idle on the couch watching a movie in the evening.
The Power of Your Metabolism While You Sleep
Many of us sacrifice our rest in order to get more done during our waking hours. Whether we have a busy work schedule, are hooked on a video game or are binging a show, we often fall into a trap of pushing our bedtime later because we’re wrapped up in whatever it is that has our attention. That said, research has shown that these disrupted sleeping schedules are not only harmful to physical and mental health, but they might also be shrinking our overnight calorie burning.
There is a lot to say about your metabolism while you sleep and what it can do for you all day and all night long. Remember that your organs and other body systems don’t shut off overnight. In fact, many of them switch into different modes as we rest. These processes consume calories. That said, the lower the quality of that rest, the lower the burn of the calories.
Simply said, the way you benefit from your metabolism while you sleep is dependent on the quality of that rest. Want to get the most out of your nights, not just your days? Read on!
Can You Improve Your Metabolism While You Sleep?
Absolutely! You have a lot of control over your metabolism while you sleep. The first step is to prioritize the rest you get at night. Use the following tips to get a better quality of sleep at night and boost your overnight metabolic rate while you’re at it.
1 – Do a Gentle Exercise Before Bed
This in no way implies an intense cardio session. Choose some gentle yoga, for example. A bit of physical activity an hour before bedtime can be a great way to shake the last of the day’s tension and stress out of your body, making you feel more restful overall.
2 – Have a Shower (No, It Doesn’t Need to be Cold)
Some people swear by cold showers before bed. If that works for you, great. Don’t expect it to have a major impact on your metabolism while you sleep though. You’re just not cold long enough for it to be effective in that way. That said, whether you have a cold or warm shower, once you get out, your body cools down quickly. That’s the feeling you’re going for. You want to feel cool before bed and to remain slightly cool even when you get into bed. Keep your room cool. You can adjust your bedding as needed so you’ll be comfortable, provided that your sleeping space is cool.
3 – Be Consistent
Stick to a similar bedtime routine every night and as much as possible, keep an identical bedtime and waking time (yes, even on weekends). The more consistently you do this the more your body’s natural circadian rhythm (sleeping and waking clock) will remain set to it. It’ll get easier and easier to get up and go to bed at the same time, to the point that you’ll naturally wake and get tired at those times. You might not even rely on your alarm clock anymore.
4 – Control Your Light Exposure
To help set that waking and sleeping clock even more – supporting your best metabolism while you sleep – pay close attention to the light exposure your eyes are getting. In the morning, try to get daylight-like light as close to getting up as you can. Ideally, step outside at sunrise and look at the light of the sky – not directly at the sun. If you’re outside in natural daylight, you only need a few seconds before you can head inside again.
Daylight is by far the most effective. That said, if you get up before dawn or can’t step outside, artificial light that contains a lot of blue can be helpful. You don’t need to invest in an expensive sunlight replicating light. A cheap, small selfie ring light with a cool/white setting should be enough. Shine that toward yourself, ideally from above instead of below, for a few minutes and you’ll gain what you need to get your system moving. At the end of the day, close to bedtime, avoid light, particularly blue light so you don’t restart your body’s waking system. This will help to boost the quality of your sleep and power up your metabolism while you sleep.
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