Get enough sleep
Getting enough sleep is absolutely essential for managing a healthy weight. Studies have found that sleeping at least seven hours every night can keep your hunger hormones in check and your metabolism alive. This will help your chances of losing weight compared to if you didn’t sleep enough.
Stretch before bed
Before you go to sleep, consider stretching before you lay down. Studies have found that stretching can improve sleep quality, and of course the better your sleep quality, the longer you will sleep! Along with this, it will boost your circulation and muscle recovery, which will ensure you feel great in the morning.
Create a healthy sleep environment
It is recommended that you should sleep in a cool and dark room that is free of distractions like electronic gadgets for the best sleep. This calm and tranquil sleep environment will help you sleep longer and better, which will further aid in weight loss.
Hydrate throughout the day
Staying hydrated throughout the day will support your body functions, boost your metabolism and will help you avoid any unnecessary snacking. But not only this, keeping hydrated will help you avoid late night interruptions, like needing to use the bathroom or disrupting your sleeping pattern. Ideally, don’t drink anything for two hours before bed.
Avoid eating before going to bed
We all know how tempting late night cravings can be. But, if you want to lose weight, avoid them! Research has found that eating late at night can negatively affect your digestion and will make you over-consume calories, which will lead to weight gain. Ideally, don’t eat anything two or three hours before bed, this gives your body enough time to digest your food and rest during the night.
Ensure a good sleep schedule
Consistency is crucial for your weight loss journey. It has been found that you will maintain a regular sleep schedule by going to bed and waking up at the exact same time each day, even on weekends. Poor sleeping patterns will disrupt the body’s natural metabolism and hormone balance, meaning you may gain some weight or stop losing weight.
Sleep in a cool room
Sleeping in cooler temperatures will help your body relax and promote a deep restorative rest. Cooler temperatures will increase the chance of your brown fat activating, this is a type of fat that burns calories to generate heat. Therefore, sleeping in a room that’s around 66 degrees Fahrenheit may help your body burn calories whilst sleeping.
Manage stress levels
Stress and sleep work together to promote weight management. In a study it was found that in overweight or obese people, those who practiced stress management lost a significant amount of weight compared to those who didn’t. Therefore, do some relaxation techniques before bedtime, such as meditation or deep breathing.
Avoid caffeine and stimulants
Cutting back on drinks like coffee or energy drinks will seriously upgrade your sleep quality, especially if you avoid them in the afternoon or evening. There are so many caffeine-free alternatives for you to buy or make that will ensure you’ll have a better night’s sleep. These substances can also disrupt sleeping patterns, interfere with your body’s natural sleep cycle, therefore affecting weight management.
Walk 10k steps daily
I know what you’re thinking – this is not something I can do in bed. And, yes, you would be correct it is not something you do whilst in bed. However, the aftermath of walking happens while you are asleep. Walking will tire you out for the night, enhancing your sleep quality, and therefore promoting fat reducing due to you burning more calories within the day.
Drink green tea
Green tea is an incredible weight-buster, packed full of beneficial antioxidants that aid your body in burning fat. Drink a cup of green tea every night after dinner – ensure that you don’t drink it too close to bedtime – and watch as the weight practically falls off of you.
Lift weights at night
Instead of counting sheep, pump some iron. Studies have shown that doing minor weight training before you hit the hay can kickstart the body’s metabolism, aiding in weight loss throughout the night. However, avoid all forms of cardio in the evening, as this can cause your mind to stay awake into the early hours, reducing your quality of sleep.
Take a cold shower
Brave the icy plunge of a cold shower and you may just burn a few extra calories. This is because your brain will attempt to elevate your overall body temperature, burning off fat cells in the process. Nighttime showers are more effective for weight loss, though morning plunges have also been proven to have similar effects.
Eat cottage cheese before bed
Having a hefty dose of cottage cheese before you turn in for the day can, strangely, aid in weight loss. This is because the low-calorie food boosts your metabolism and activates your muscles – even while you’re slumbering. Eat the snack a couple of hours before hitting the hay to avoid any nasty bouts of indigestion.
Wear ankle weights
An easy weight-loss hack is to don some ankle weights throughout the day. These are particularly effective if you struggle to meet you daily step quota, burning off excess calories with each step you take. This extra strain on your body will make you wearier of an evening, resulting in a deeper, more beneficial sleep.
Eat on a schedule
You need to aim to eat your meals at the same time every single day if you’re looking to lose weight. This allows your body to know when it’s time to cling onto carbs for energy, and when to burn them off to prevent them from turning into stubborn bouts of belly fat. Make a schedule and stick to it – you’ll notice the difference in just a few weeks.
Eat a smaller dinner
Naturally, it makes sense that you’ll lose more weight of a night if you reduce the size of your dinner. If you can, consider eating your biggest meal of the day at lunchtime, using the evening to eat a smaller, more manageable portion. This will allow your body to burn more fat as you slumber.
Avoid alcohol
If you’re looking for a peaceful sleep that can help tackle belly fat, avoid alcohol at all costs. While many people think that a glass of wine or two helps them get to sleep, the opposite is true. When the alcohol exits your system after five hours, you’ll awaken feeling dehydrated and groggy – reducing the time that could be spent burning fat.
Eat lots of protein
Recent studies have shown that eating around 30 to 40 grams of protein before you hit the hay can promote weight loss, muscle growth, and muscle mass. Furthermore, the amino acid L-tryptophan can drastically improve your sleep quality, aiding you in shifting those last few stubborn pounds.
Don’t go to bed hungry
Many people make the error of going to bed when they’re hungry, thinking that their bodies will use this hunger to burn fat. In fact, the opposite is true, with your body storing all the fat it can find. If you’re hungry of an evening, eat a low-calorie, healthy snack to fend of any nighttime cravings.
Don’t indulge in too much pre-bed screentime
We’re all guilty of it – watching Netflix until the early hours, thinking that one more episode can’t do too much harm. Unfortunately, the blue light that’s emitted from your cell or TV severely effects the quality of your sleep, with your brain thinking that the sun’s still up. To lose as much weight as possible, turn your cell off an hour or so before you sleep.
Go to bed earlier
If the amount of hours you spend snoozing directly correlates to how much fat you can burn – why wouldn’t you go to bed sooner? Not only will you burn more fat, but you’ll arise earlier the next day, allowing you to squeeze in a quick workout before you head for the office.
Try intermittent fasting
Those who practice intermittent fasting have higher levels of human growth hormone. This hormone is produced while you sleep, and encourages fat burning, muscle repair, and all-around health benefits. Aim for a 12 or 16-hour fasts each day to reap the weight-loss benefits.
Resistance training
A whopping 25 percent of the calories you eat get burned by your muscles. Your muscles are always burning fat – even while you’re in the land of nod. The more muscle you have, the more your metabolism will naturally increase. A great way to build up those biceps is through resistance training, bulking you up in no time.
Drink a protein shake
If you don’t have the energy to cook up a protein-based snack before you hit the hay, opt for a protein shake. These drinks boost your body’s metabolism, aiding in weight loss as you slumber. Better yet, they’re easy to prepare, only taking a few minutes before you can consume the health-boosting drink.
Reduce your carb consumption
Carbs make us feel bloated, sluggish, and tired – so surely they’ll aid in getting a good night’s sleep? Unfortunately, the opposite is true. The more carbs you eat during the day, the more your body will have to work to burn them off at night, resulting in hours spent tossing and turning.
Take a salt bath
Pour some Epsom salts into a warm bath, perhaps lighting some candles and playing some ambient music. While this isn’t guaranteed to drastically effect your weight, it will make you feel more relaxed before you rest your weary head, encouraging a slumber that’ll burn plenty of fat.
Reduce your sodium intake
Foods that are packed full of sodium are natural sleep killers. This is due to your body having to process the high salt levels, resulting in numerous wake-ups throughout the night. Eating high quantities of salt will also leave you feeling dehydrated, further disrupting your snooze.
Get some sunlight
Expose yourself to some morning light as soon as possible, letting the sun rays warm up your skin. Doing this every day can help you sleep better of a night. This is because when your skin is exposed to UV rays, it changes cholesterol to vitamin D – aiding in weight loss and promoting a better night’s sleep.
Swap out your morning coffee for water
As much as we rely on morning cup of coffee to boost us up for the day, it could have detrimental effects. This is because it dehydrates you before you’ve even begun your day, leaving you bleary-eyed and weary. Instead, have a cool glass of water, flushing out your system. Doing this every morning will result in a better sleep come nighttime.
Eat more fiber
Eating high-fiber foods is the key to weight loss, alongside having a slew of health-boosting effects. Opt for green, leafy veggies for your dinner to prime your body for the best fat-burning conditions of a night… Just ensure you don’t eat them too close to bed time.
Increase your comfort
If you aren’t comfortable, you aren’t going to sleep very well. Update your pillows, ensuring that they’re nice and plump. Add an extra blanket if the cold winter weather keeps you up at night. Use a leg pillow if you wake up with aching limbs – all of these tips can result in a deeper, more pleasurable sleep that’ll put your body into fat-burning mode.
Dim your lights
Before you go to bed, consider gradually dimming your lights around two hours prior to hitting the sack. This replicates the light outside, tricking your brain into thinking that the sun is going down. This primes your body for optimal sleeping conditions, helping you to lose weight while you slumber.
Limit your sugar intake
There’s a reason why we limit our children from eating too much sugar – because it causes hyperactivity. The same can be said for adults – eating high amounts of sugar during the day can make it exceedingly difficult to drift off of a night, reducing your chances of burning any weight.
Redecorate
It may sound strange, but the color of your walls can directly correlate to the quality of your sleep. If your bedroom is sheathed in shades of yellow, red, and orange, your brain believes that the sun is still up, disrupting your slumber. Opt for cool shades of navy for a better sleep – boosting your weight loss.
Eat more vitamins
What you eat during the day can affect how much weight you lose at night. You want to ensure that you’re consuming an array of healthy vitamins and minerals to burn as much fat as possible as you snooze. Eat lots of fruits and veggies to keep your body in tip-top shape, helping to lose those last few stubborn pounds.
Listen to white noise
If you’re in a home that’s plagued by noisy family members, consider playing some white noise as you snooze. Research has shown that playing white noise can dramatically increase the quality of your sleep, leaving you feeling refreshed when you awaken, priming you for your morning workout.
Wear a sleep mask
Wearing a sleep mask while you snooze is a wonderful way to ensure you slip into a deep, long-lasting sleep. They block out all outside light interference, allowing you to slumber in peace. As we know, the better your sleep – the more weight you’re able to shift.
Munch on a grapefruit
Grapefruit is known to be a fat-burner in its own right, full of enzymes that help to break down fatty cells. Ensure you eat a grapefruit every day – ideally as a post-dinner treat, just before you hit the hay – to burn as many pounds as possible while you slumber.
Ditch the nightlight
Although it makes for a wonderful aesthetic, it’s time to ditch the nightlight if you’re looking for a deeper, more peaceful slumber. Having a constant source of light emanating as you sleep can confuse the brain, making your body think it’s time to rise. These constant awakenings can reduce your sleep quality, minimizing the amount of weight you can lose.