Those who want to lose weight, only know how every calorie counts. To lose fat, it is important that you burn more calories than you consume. Most people start with gym, lifting weight, sweaty run, going for long walks when they want to burn calories. However, did you know that even when you're sound asleep, your body is always burning calories?
Why Do Your Body Burn Calories When You Sleep?
When you are sleeping, your organs such as the heart, brain and kidneys are working and to function properly all of these need energy in the form of calories. Also, your body repairs muscles and tissues that are exposed to wear and tear during the day due to workout or any other physical activities. The process of repair and growth requires energy.
Your brain, which works 24/7 needs a steady supply of glucose, which comes from breakdown of carbohydrates and fats, this process needs calories. Also, when you sleep, your body regulates its temperature. This process is known as thermoregulation and it requires energy.
How Many Calories are Burned While Sleeping?
While the exact number of calories burned during sleep varies from person to person, on average, a person burns about 0.4 calories per pound of body weight per hour of sleep. For example, if you weigh 70 Kg, you might burn around 60 calories per hour of sleep.
So, if you sleep for about 8 hours a night, you could burn approximately 480 calories just by sleeping!
Which Stage of Sleep Uses the Most Calorie Burn?
Our body undergoes different stages of sleep throughout the night. An average sleep cycle should look like this:
- Stage 1: This is when you first begin to fall asleep and quickly come back to consciousness.
- Stage 2: We spend almost half of the night in stage 2, sometimes known as light sleep. Your heart rate, respiration rate, and mental activity all begin to decrease.
- Stage 3 or deep sleep: Because of the slow-wave brain activity that occurs during this stage, it is sometimes referred to as slow-wave sleep. This is the hardest stage to wake you up from.
- Stage 4 or Rapid-eye-movement (REM) sleep: Most dreams occur during the rapid-eye movement (REM) sleep phase. The name comes from the fact that your eyes can be seen moving quickly under your eyelids while your muscles are temporarily paralyzed, stopping you from acting out those fantasies. At this point, blood pressure, heart rate, respiration, and brain activity all begin to rise once more.
You'll have finished one sleep cycle once you've passed through all four stages of sleep. This might go on for 70 or 120 minutes. Next, you'll start over in a new cycle.
REM burns the most calories since it is linked with faster heart rate and brain activity than the other non-REM stages. In fact, it is frequently impossible to tell the difference between brain activity during REM sleep and brain activity while awake using only electrical brainwave activity.
On the other hand, you burn the fewest calories when you're in deep sleep because your body temperature, heart rate, and brain activity are all at their lowest points.
Conclusion
Understanding how your body burns calories while you sleep can change how you think about staying healthy. Even when you're resting, your body is busy repairing itself and keeping everything running smoothly.
If you're looking to improve your sleep, consider using a Sleepsia Memory Foam Pillow. It's designed to support your head and neck comfortably, which can help you sleep better and wake up feeling more refreshed. By getting better sleep, you're not only helping your body burn calories efficiently but also supporting your overall well-being.