Have you ever weighed yourself before you went to bed and again when you woke up in the morning after an uninterrupted night of sleep? In most cases, you’ll be a little lighter in the morning, but most of that tends to be water weight you shed through your breath and perspiration. But do we also burn fat during our sleep? The answer is more than a “yes” or “no” response.
Can You Lose Fat in Your Sleep?
There is a relationship between sleep and fat reduction. For one, while your metabolism slows down during sleep, your body still engages in involuntary functions, like breathing, digestion, pumping blood, etc. These activities require energy and, therefore, burn calories. Additionally, sleep is a time when you’re not consuming new sources of calories. Whatever you go to bed with in your stomach is all the body has to digest and metabolize. If your stomach is empty, your body will draw upon fat reserves for additional energy. So, yes, you do lose some amount of fat while sleeping.
But there’s more. Not getting adequate amounts of sleep can slow your fat reduction. One 2018 study concluded that losing one hour of sleep five nights during the week can reduce fat loss. This study was conducted using subjects who were also on a calorie-restricted diet. The study doesn’t necessarily show that you’ll lose more weight when you sleep, but rather that not getting sleep may slow your weight loss.
How to Lose Weight Overnight
Before moving on to weight loss while sleeping, it’s important to discuss the connection between fat reduction and weight loss. When most people say that they “want to lose weight,” what they really mean is that they want to reduce their fat. If all other things hold equal, if you drop fat, by necessity, you’ll lose weight. Most people lose weight overnight via water loss, but that’s temporary. Fat reduction is a more sustainable form of weight loss. There are things that you can do to lose fat while you sleep. Here are a few to keep in mind:
Eat Dinner Earlier and Avoid Snacking
The thought process here is that if you don’t have food in your stomach, your body will be forced to turn toward fat reserves for energy. Additionally, while you’re sleeping, you’re less likely to experience hunger pangs that are likely to send you to the refrigerator for a snack.
Avoid Caffeine or Alcohol Within Two Hours of Bedtime
In addition to slowing down your metabolism, alcohol is disruptive to sleep, and as we mentioned above, lack of sleep is counter to fat burning. Caffeine is also disruptive to sleep. Finally, any calories that you consume before bed can slow or delay the fat-burning process, and alcoholic and caffeinated beverages often contain calories.
Keep Your Sleep on a Schedule
Many of us sacrifice sleep to cover inadequacies in our days, but this can slow the overnight fat reduction that you’re hoping to achieve. Set a bedtime and a reasonable wake-up time that provide you with enough sleep.
How Does Proper Sleep Help You Lose Fat?
Lack of sleep increases your stress levels. That’s because sufficient sleep induces cortisol, which is an enzyme that helps regulate stress. During times of stress, the body reacts by trying to store reserve energy in the form of fat. This is an evolutionarily advantageous trait. During the periods of time when human existence relied on fight-or-flight responses, it was helpful to have a reserve of fat. In modern times, things like running late for work or having an upcoming exam can cause stress. Sleep-induced cortisol helps regulate that stress. In short, sleep reduces stress, which reduces fat retention.
How Emerald Laser Can Help
Emerald Laser cannot help you get extra hours of sleep during the week. What it can do, however, is help you target stubborn areas of fat that you don’t seem to be able to reduce with diet, exercise, sufficient rest, and an otherwise healthy lifestyle.
Fat Reduction and Targeting Specific Zones
It’s normal to have a certain amount of fat in your body. For men, less than 2-24% body fat is considered healthy — although many men would prefer to be at the lower end of that range. For women, the numbers are higher: 10-31%. But two individuals with the same height, gender, and body-fat percentages can carry fat differently. That’s largely due to genetics. For example, some people gain fat in their lower abdomen before it’s noticeable anywhere on the body, and that’s the last place the fat goes away. You probably know your own problem areas for losing fat.
Emerald Laser Targets Fat Cells
Emerald Laser works by targeting groups of fat cells in specific regions. Our state-of-the-art laser system uses ten 532-nm “cool” lasers that focus on fat cells beneath the skin. The laser bores tiny pores into the cells’ membrane walls while also emulsifying the lipid contained in the cell. The now liquified fats seep through the tiny wholes and are disposed of by the body’s endocrine system. This process can go on continuously for a week or two. Most people achieve full results within 12 weeks.
Benefits of Emerald Laser
Erchonia, the creator of Emerald Laser and the first company to receive FDA market approval for a fat reduction laser, has led the industry in safe, effective lasers. Here are some benefits of the Emerald Laser System:
- Effective – Emerald Laser demonstrated fat reduction in multiple double-blind studies. Additionally, providers have treated thousands of patients with great success.
- Non-Invasive – Unlike liposuction, laser lipolysis does not require anesthesia or hospitalization.
- Safe – There are no known side effects with Emerald Laser fat reduction. Unlike other laser lipolysis systems, Emerald Laser empties the fat cells without destroying them. Destroying fat cells can lead to unhealthy and even dangerous side effects, which is why many doctors recommend Emerald Laser over competitor systems, fat freezing, and liposuction.
- Fast – Each session takes less than thirty minutes, which makes it one of the fastest and safest medical fat reduction methods on the market.
- Painless – Emerald Laser by Erchonia is a pain-free process that doesn’t require anesthesia or even a local anesthetic.
- No Down Time – Emerald Laser lipolysis does not require a recovery period. You can leave your session and resume normal or even rigorous activity.
Laser Lipolysis Near You
With so many benefits to Emerald Laser, there’s nothing stopping you from scheduling an initial, risk-free consultation. Emerald Laser can target stubborn areas of fat anywhere on your body: abdomen, lower back, thighs, hips, love handles, arms, shoulders, neck, chin, and much more! We typically recommend six sessions for full results, and our providers offer full packages with this in mind. Financing is available. Contact your medical provider and ask them to recommend a medical provider in your area. Medical providers, Emerald Laser offers different systems tailored to the needs of our partners. We will also provide training and certification for your laser technicians. Contact Emerald Laser today for details.
