How many calories do you burn while sleeping? Table by weight

While you sleep, you burn just over 1 kcal per kilogram of body weight per hour. A 70 kg person burns about 530 kcal in 8 hours of sleep. The figure depends mainly on your weight and basal metabolic rate. Sleep doesn't make you lose weight on its own, but getting too little sleep does make it harder to control your weight.

Table of Contents

• How many calories are burned during 8 hours of sleep? Table by weight
• Why do you burn calories while sleeping?
• How many kilograms are lost by sleeping?
• What affects how much you burn at night
• Getting too little sleep and weight: the relationship that really matters
• Can you burn more fat while you sleep?

How many calories are burned during 8 hours of sleep? Table by weight

Sleep has an estimated expenditure of 0.95 MET, according to the Compendium of Physical Activities. One MET is approximately equal to 1 kcal per kilogram of body weight per hour. Using that reference, here is this guide table:

Weight	7 hours of sleep	8 hours of sleep
50 kg	~330 kcal	~380 kcal
60 kg	~400 kcal	~460 kcal
70 kg	~470 kcal	~530 kcal
80 kg	~530 kcal	~610 kcal
90 kg	~600 kcal	~680 kcal
100 kg	~660 kcal	~760 kcal
110 kg	~730 kcal	~840 kcal

This is an estimate. Two people of the same weight may burn different amounts depending on their muscle mass, age, and sex: muscle consumes more energy at rest than fat.

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Why do you burn calories while sleeping?

Even when you are still, your body keeps working: your heart beats, you breathe, your brain processes what happened during the day, and your body maintains its temperature and repairs tissues. All of this consumes energy. This is what is called basal metabolism, and it accounts for most of the calories you burn in a day.

Expenditure is not the same throughout the night. It is lower during deep sleep and rises slightly during REM sleep, when the brain is almost as active as when you are awake. If you want to know what happens at each stage, we explain it in the stages of sleep.

How many kilograms are lost by sleeping?

Very little fat. One kilogram of body fat is equivalent to about 7,700 kcal, so the 500 kcal from one night corresponds to about 65 grams of fat. What's more, those calories are not "lost" by sleeping: you would burn them just the same while awake and at rest.

What you do see in the morning is that the scale shows slightly less than the day before. It is mostly water that is lost through breathing and sweat, and what you eliminated by going to the bathroom. It is regained as soon as you drink and eat.

What affects how much you burn at night

• Your weight and muscle mass: the more weight and muscle you have, the more you burn.
• Age: basal metabolism gradually decreases with age.
• Bedroom temperature: in a very cold room, the body spends slightly more energy to stay warm, but you also sleep worse. It is better to keep it between 18 and 21°C; we explain it in the ideal temperature for sleeping.
• Dinner: digestion consumes energy, but a heavy dinner or one with alcohol worsens sleep. It is better to eat light and a couple of hours before going to bed.
• The hours you sleep: more hours, more total expenditure, although the difference is small compared to what you burn during the day.

Getting too little sleep and weight: the relationship that really matters

What matters is not the calories burned at night, but what the lack of sleep causes the next day. Regularly getting too little sleep alters two hormones: it lowers leptin, which gives a feeling of satiety, and increases ghrelin, which stimulates appetite. The result is more hunger, more cravings for high-calorie food, and less motivation to move.

That is why getting too little sleep is associated with a higher risk of gaining weight. For an adult, it is recommended to sleep between 7 and 9 hours, with regular schedules.

Can you burn more fat while you sleep?

There are no tricks that boost nighttime expenditure. What works is what you do during the day:

• Gain or maintain muscle mass with strength training, because it also raises basal metabolism at night.
• Move every day and leave intense exercise for at least 2 or 3 hours before going to bed.
• Eat a light dinner without alcohol, and maintain the same sleep schedule even on weekends.
• Sleep in an environment that does not wake you up: dark, cool, quiet, and with a suitable mattress and pillow.

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