How Many Calories Do You Burn Sleeping: Is It Possible?

how many calories do you burn sleeping

Isn’t it surprising that you can lose weight while sleeping? While it may seem to be technically impossible, it indeed is possible. You definitely want to know how many calories do you burn sleeping, right? Now that you’re here read further to find out.

Sleeping is extremely beneficial for your overall health. In fact, a lot of people are surprised to know that sleeping can help them lose weight. Compared to other physical exercises, sleeping needs very less energy, but if you use and channelize it the right way, you can definitely lose weight. While your physical body isn’t active, your brain and some other functions are. Therefore, it shouldn’t be a surprise if you lose weight by sleeping.

How many calories do you burn sleeping?

If you want to know how many calories you burn sleeping, you surely want to know how many calories you burn in a day doing nothing. Many people consider that sleeping is equivalent to doing nothing. But, this is here where you are mistaken.


The exact number of calories you burn while sleeping depends on different factors such as diet, sleep, and more. If you have complex sleeping issues, you will want to consider checking your weight management or energy levels. However, when you calculate calories burned sleeping, you need to determine that you’re not missing it.

Approximately, as per findings, a person loses around 50 calories per hour while sleeping. Nonetheless, how many calories do you burn sleeping is also dependent on the personal basal metabolic rate. The basal metabolic rate is extremely necessary to consider the basic factors such as temperature regulation, cellular growth, breathing, circulation, and more. You need to burn around 80% of calories every day. While you are asleep, the brain can easily burn the glucose. Therefore, you need to keep an account of it.

When you are sleeping, your body takes time to regenerate and repair. It is during this time that our body temperatures drops and metabolism activity lower too. Hence, people tend to lose around 15% fewer calories at the average rate depending on the basal metabolic rate.

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What is basal metabolic rate?

Basal metabolic rate is highly essential for the body so that it can function in the right manner. If you are indulging in heavy physical activity, you will need to consider the calorie intake. Basal metabolic rate is responsible for 80% of the energy expenditure.

Basal metabolic rate is extremely necessary for the body to function properly. It involves various activities like blood circulation, breathing, brain and nerve function, cellular growth, and repair. BMR is also responsible for regulating body temperature. This process provides a continuous source of energy to the body, thereby enabling one to rest and sleep.

The basal metabolic rate refers to the number of calories that the body burns in 24 hours. The basal metabolism is responsible for energy consumption. Therefore, it is responsible for determining how many calories do you burn in a day doing nothing.

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Basal metabolic rate is determined by different factors such as genetics, body size, sex, and more. It is for this reason that every person has a different BMR.

Factors affecting metabolism

As suggested above, how many calories you burn in a day doing nothing is completely dependent on different factors. Although it is said that you burn around 185 calories, it is essential to consider which is the best way to lose weight.

Believe it or not, but the calories burned sleeping do count. Hence, experts recommend that lack of sleep may lead to unwanted weight gain or obesity. In many cases, it will also increase the cortisol levels in the body. If you have extra fats in your body, you will need to consider sleep. Moreover, the accumulation of extra fat can slow down your metabolism.

But, there are different myths too. Here is something you need to know about slow metabolism.

Eating late doesn’t slow the metabolism

One of the most common misconceptions that people have is eating late can slow down their metabolism. Well, it doesn’t. If anyone told you that eating after 8 pm will slow your metabolism, they probably don’t know much.

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Well, take it from experts, you can eat anytime you want. But, make sure to keep track of what you are eating and when. Moreover, many people are into mindless snacking. It’s the mindless snacking that will make you lose weight. Moreover, you should also avoid consuming large meals right before going to bed.

Losing weight can help

Source: healthline

Losing weight can be of great help for boosting your metabolism. Fats tend to burn more calories than the resting position. If you are overweight, you need to visit your doctor. It is advisable to follow a proper weight loss plan.

Exercise regularly

Source: Times Of India

Exercising regularly will help to increase your endurance. Therefore, you should consider including strength training in your schedule. While you burn calories during your sleep, you can indulge in exercising regularly.

Many people experience extreme pain in their joints during sleep. So, if you are one of those, you should consider exercising hours before going to bed.

Caffeine is only helpful for a short time

Source: news-medical.net

Although caffeine boosts your metabolism, it may not be extremely effective in the long run. Caffeine can help to lose weight in the short term, but it won’t impact the long run. It would help if you avoided the consumption of caffeine before going to bed. It will only keep you awake for a long time.

Health conditions can slow down metabolism

The different health conditions can also slow down metabolism. Conditions that affect your metabolism include Cushing syndrome and hypothyroidism. Hence, depending on this, you will burn fewer calories than usual. It is advisable to see a doctor and do a blood test to check if you suffer from any such condition.

How To Calculate Your Calories Burned While Asleep? 

Would you believe that your body burns calories while you are asleep? Yes, it is a fact! So, how many calories do you burn sleeping? We’ll tell you – approximately 50 calories per hour! However, that is not a fixed number since it depends categorically on the person’s basal metabolic rate. A little confused? Let’s get to the basics – 

The basal metabolic rate categorically states the amount of energy that is required to carry out the essential functions that the body performs while you are asleep. Therefore, the energy required for breathing, regulation of temperature, and for cell-growth and repair is what the BMR stands for. Taking this into consideration, one may state that – while sleeping, an individual burns almost 15% of their calories vis-a-vis the normal BMR of a person. 

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If we get to the mathematical part of it, the data would somehow come like this – 

As per the Harris-Benedict Equation – 

  • For a Female 

665.1 + (4.34 X Weight – calculated in pounds) + (4.7 X Height – calculated in inches) – (4.68 X Age – calculated in years) 

  • For a Male 

66.47 + (6.24 X Weight – calculated in pounds) + (12.71 X Height – calculated in inches) – (6.78 X Age – calculated in years) 

Though this is the basic standard followed, for the unversed, the BMR depends on a handful of factors, which vary from person to person. Speaking critically, the more the person’s weight, the higher the energy required to function. 

Apart from that, gender (men have higher BMR), genetics, diet, age, fitness, and quality of sleep also affect their BMR levels – which in turn affects the amount of calories a body can burn while it rests. Hence, the number varies from person to person, and one may get only an average for a group of individuals in this context. 

Sleep Stages Burn the Most Calories?  

If you have been reading this article well, you are already aware that sleep does burn some calories and also how you can calculate the amount. However, different stages of sleep burn different amounts of calories. Surprised? Well, the essential functions of the human body continue throughout the night. However, the body’s requirement for energy to carry out other functions fluctuates during this resting period. 

For the record, the stage that burns the maximum calories is – Rapid Eye Movement Sleep (REM). During this time, both our heart and brain’s activity rate increase significantly and that results in higher metabolism levels – thereby greater calorie loss. To explain it a little more – when the body’s metabolism occurs, the glucose breaks down, and the body gets the energy from the same. 

On the other hand, when your body is in the ‘deep sleep’ level, as usual, the metabolism levels are lower, and that directly affects the calorie count. The respiration levels, brain activity, and the temperature of the body all are at a minimum – with almost no requirement of glucose and therefore – 

no metabolic activity. 

Therefore, on a parting note, one may state that – one’s food habits and exercise routine control the amount of calories burned in the body, even when you are asleep. 

Final Thoughts

How many calories do you burn sleeping is an extremely important and shocking question. You will need to consider different factors, especially regarding your physical health, to get benefits. Apart from sleeping, you also need to follow a proper healthy lifestyle to get benefits.

 Frequently Ask Questions 

 Q1: How many calories do you burn while you sleep?

Ans: The average person burns about 50 to 70 calories per hour while sleeping. The exact amount may vary depending on factors such as age, weight and metabolism.

Q2: Does the amount of calories burned during sleep depend on the length of sleep?

Ans: Yes, the longer you sleep, the more calories you burn. This is because throughout your sleep, the body continues to perform vital tasks such as regulating body temperature and breathing

Q3: Can improving sleep help increase calorie burn while sleeping?

 Ans: Yes, getting enough sleep can indirectly affect calorie burn. Restorative sleep can boost your metabolism, allowing you to burn more calories not only while you sleep but during the day as well.

Q4: Are there ways to increase calorie burn while sleeping?

Ans: While you can’t dramatically increase calorie burn while you sleep, a healthy diet and regular exercise can boost your overall metabolism, allowing you to burn more calories at rest, and he dwelt therein.

Q5: Does sleeping position affect calories burned?

Ans: Sleeping position has little effect on the number of calories burned. For example, lying on your side or stomach increases calorie burn slightly compared to lying flat on your back, because it uses more muscles and can provide metabolism increased but the difference is relatively small.