6 Ways to Lose Weight While You Sleep (2024)

Getting a poor night’s sleep doesn’t just make you cranky—it can also make you gain weight. Research shows logging less than eight hours a night increases your levels of the stress hormone cortisol, which negatively affects the microbes in your gut, slowing your metabolism.

Previously reported by Men's Health, just one night of bad sleep can slow down your metabolism the next morning, reducing the energy you expend by up to 20 percent. according to a study in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition.

Not sleeping well can also disturb your your hunger hormones, making you more likely to eat junk food. A 2017 UK review and meta-analysis found that people who slept 5.5 hours or less per night ate an extra 385 calories throughout the day after compared to those who slept for at least seven to 12 hours.

With less sleep, you're also more likely to indulge in late night snacking, that could sabotage your weight loss goals. Previously reported by Men's Health, "Eating carbs in the evening leads to metabolic problems, because the body is more resistant to insulin at night," explained Aaron Cypess, MD, PhD, in a previous interview.

This can result in a higher blood sugar, which can contribute to weight gain and other complications. Protein doesn't cut it here either—it only takes a few extra steps for protein to be converted to carbs and fat. Any extra calories at night will be stored as fat, so eat dinner early and keep snacking light.

Fortunately, you can reverse course and keep your metabolism cranking overnight with a good night's rest using these simple steps.

1. Lift weights at night

After work, head straight from your desk to the dumbbell rack and you can boost your metabolic rate for up to 16 hours, according to a recent study in Diabetologia.

2. Drink a casein protein shake

Feed your hungry muscles by trading whey for casein in your post-workout shake. This slow-release protein is gradually digested over 8 hours and keeps your metabolic fires burning through the night.

Dutch researchers also say that casein enhances protein synthesis, which helps you cut an extra 35 calories a day for every pound of new muscle gained.

3. Take a cold shower

An icy shower does more than flush out lactic acid after the gym. Research in PLoS ONE finds that a 30-second freeze is all it takes to activate your body’s brown adipose tissue, or "brown fat"—which, when fired up, melts as much as an extra 400 calories in bed.

Make sure you stick your head under the faucet: More brown fat is stored in the back of your neck and shoulders.

4. Drink green tea

The flavonoids found in green tea boost your metabolism—and if it’s your third cup of the day, you’ll burn 3.5 percent more calories overnight, according to a 2016 study in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition.

Don’t worry about caffeine content. Green tea will help keep you up for the news at 10, but not all night.

5. Sleep in a colder room

Cranking the radiator at night burns through little more than your gas bill.

Research from the National Institutes of Health says that turning down your thermostat to a cool 66 degrees Fahrenheit cuts 7 percent more calories, as your body burns fat to maintain its core temperature.

6. Explore intermittent fasting

You may have hard of Intermittent Fasting (IF) — the practice of consciously having calorie-free blocks of time throughout your day or week, sometimes up to 16 hours a day without food. This could mean that you may stop eating at 7pm in the evening, and then not eat anything at all until 11am the next morning.

“When we eat, insulin — the main storage hormone for fat — goes up and we store fat, or glycogen, in the liver. When insulin goes down, we start to break down glycogen and burn fat. Low levels of insulin tell the body to start burning its stored fat,” explains Samantha McKinney, Registered Dietitian at Life Time, RD, a registered dietician at Life Time, a national fitness company with over 150 locations. “Second, fasting prompts cells to make new mitochondria — and the more mitochondria you have, the more fuel you burn. There is a direct line between mitochondria and metabolism. Your mitochondria take carbs and other nutrients and burn them for energy.”

Studies focused on the effects of IF on humans have been limited; some studies have found that following an IF plan is no more effective than standard calorie restriction. But the clear, concrete rules—a daily structured block of not eating—can be easier to follow than other weight loss plans.