How Many Calories Do You Burn Sleeping?

Have you ever wondered if your body’s “calorie-burning furnace” simply shuts off when you fall asleep—basically, it’s lights out for the mind and body? Contrary to what it might feel like—especially on nights when you’re tucked in, totally still, and not consciously doing anything—your body doesn’t pause its energy demands. In fact, a surprising amount of calories are burned each night while you sleep just by powering your brain, maintaining body temperature, and keeping your vital organs working.

So, how many calories do you burn sleeping, and can you do anything to optimize and improve the entire calorie-burning process? It’s not possible to turn sleep into a hardcore workout, but rather understanding that high-quality sleep contributes to overall health, including healthy weight management, can be helpful

A good night’s rest helps regulate hormones, preserve muscle mass, and keep your metabolism humming. In this article, we’ll explore why calories burned while sleeping matter, how they add up for an average person, and the simple strategies you can adopt to maximize your nighttime routine.

Whether you’re wondering how many calories you burn sleeping for 8 hours, how you burn calories when you sleep, or even whether napping burns calories, in this article we will dive deeper into how many calories you burn sleeping.

Why Is Sleep an Active Calorie-Burning Time?

Even though your body is physically at rest, you’re never truly “off” at night. In fact, several processes happen while you’re catching your nightly Z’s:

Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR)

Your BMR is the minimum energy needed for vital functions like breathing, cell production, blood circulation, and brain activity. This baseline rate doesn’t disappear at night; it keeps chugging along to support your body and brain’s life-sustaining tasks.

Hormone Regulation

Sleep is the prime time for regulating hunger-related hormones such as leptin and ghrelin. When these hormones are balanced, you’re less likely to overeat during the day. While this might not directly crank up your “sleep calories” and accelerate your body-burning capabilities, it does help to better hormone balance, which can keep your metabolism on track.

Cellular Repair and Growth

When you drift into deeper sleep stages, your body ramps up repair and growth processes - Proteins are synthesized, muscle tissues get mended, and overall healing happens—which all cost your body energy.

Temperature Regulation

Your body works to maintain a steady internal temperature. Even in a cozy bed, thermoregulation uses up calories

Brain Maintenance

Sleep is essential for cognitive function. Although your muscles are relaxed, your brain might be quite busy organizing memories, processing information, and filtering out toxins. This behind-the-scenes brain activity also requires energy.

How Many Calories Do You Burn Sleeping for 8 Hours?

Let’s do the math for an average adult. A commonly cited figure is around 0.9 to 1 calorie per pound of body weight per hour.

If you weigh 150 pounds:

• Per Hour: 135–150 calories
• Over 8 Hours: 1,080–1,200 calories

That’s a decent chunk of energy usage (though these numbers can fluctuate based on age, gender, muscle mass, and overall health). Notice that if you weigh more or have more muscle mass, your BMR can be higher, meaning you could burn more calories per hour sleeping.

Keep in mind: these estimates are not a one-size-fits-all guarantee.

Why We Shouldn’t Rely on Sleep Alone for Weight Loss

It’s tempting to hope you can “sleep off the extra pounds.” While how much energy you use while sleeping does have an impact, it’s only part of the picture.

Does Napping Burn Calories?

If you’ve ever wondered, does napping burn calories, the short answer is a resounding yes. However, the total burn depends on nap length and individual factors.

A 20-minute power nap won’t come close to the total energy usage of an 8-hour slumber, but a nap still taps into your BMR. Plus, the mental and stress-relief benefits of a quick midday snooze can be enormous.

Simple Strategies to Boost Your Nightly Calorie Burn—or at Least Not Hamper It

Let’s take a hard look at simple strategies that will improve your body’s natural calorie-burning capabilities each night.

Support Muscle Mass

Muscle burns more calories than fat, even at rest. Resistance training or bodyweight workouts can boost your muscle-to-fat ratio, gently nudging up your BMR. This means a potential increase in sleep calories burned each night.

Maintain Good Sleep Hygiene

Sticking to a regular bedtime and wake-up time is one of the easiest ways to keep your body’s internal clock happily ticking away. It helps you fall asleep faster and wake up feeling more refreshed.

You’ll also want to make your bedroom cool and dark—this slightly boosts your body’s thermoregulation (though don’t count on it for major calorie burn!) and helps you drift off more comfortably.

Don’t forget to power down screens before lights out; the blue light from phones, tablets, and TVs can disrupt melatonin, the hormone that signals “sleep time” to your brain. By cutting back on late-night scrolling, you’re setting yourself up for better-quality rest and a more energized tomorrow.

Optimize Your Nighttime Routine

We all have a nighttime routine that we follow. However, a few tweaks to that regimen can help you sleep better and burn calories.

Avoid super heavy or sugary meals before bedtime—while a light snack isn’t a problem, those bigger feasts can spike your insulin and make it harder to settle into deep sleep.

Staying hydrated is also key to a healthy metabolism, but you might want to skip chugging a huge glass of water right before lights out unless you enjoy middle-of-the-night bathroom trips.

Try a Weighted Blanket

A weighted blanket, like the Cotton Napper, uses Deep Touch Pressure (DTP) to help you relax each night in bed. While it’s not a direct calorie-burning device, it can reduce stress and help you fall asleep faster, allowing more time for deep, restorative sleep.

Cotton Weighted Blanket

  2249 Reviews

Dreamy, buttery softness

Calms body & mind for deeper sleep

Hand-knitted huggable comfort

It's Napper Time

Cocoonable, couchworthy perfection

Unveil the secrets to restful sleep and join the Napperhood for a chance to win our perfect weighted blanket, the Cotton Napper. Get expert tips and insights delivered to your inbox.

We've tucked it away!

FAQs About Sleeping and Calorie Burn

Can I Increase My Sleep Calorie Burn by Going to Bed Earlier?

Going to bed earlier doesn’t necessarily mean you’ll burn more calories, but it can help you get enough sleep to support healthy metabolic function. Quantity and quality of sleep often matter more than bedtime alone.

What Are “Sleep Calories,” and Are They Different from Regular Calories?

“Sleep calories” is just a casual term people use to describe the calories burned during sleep. They’re not a different type of calorie; all calories are units of energy. The phrase highlights energy used while you’re resting, largely driven by your BMR.

How Much Energy Do You Use While Sleeping vs. Napping?

Whether you’re napping or sleeping overnight, the energy usage stems from the same place: your basal metabolic processes. Because naps are shorter, the total calories burned will be fewer. However, even short naps can help regulate stress, indirectly aiding in overall calorie balance.

Does Drinking Something Warm Before Bed Affect Calorie Burn?

A warm drink (like herbal tea) may help you relax, indirectly enhancing sleep quality. It won’t drastically alter your calorie burn, but better sleep may keep your metabolism functioning smoothly.

Can a Weighted Blanket Really Help Me Lose Weight?

A weighted blanket isn’t a weight-loss tool. However, promoting deeper, more restful sleep, can help support healthy hormone levels and reduce stress, supporting better overall well-being.

Conclusion

So, how many calories do you burn sleeping? For most adults, it’s enough to keep critical processes running, with the exact number shaped by factors like weight, muscle mass, and overall health. While it’s easy to get caught up in the numbers—like calories per hour sleeping or how many calories do you burn sleeping for 8 hours—the real takeaway is that high-quality, consistent sleep can be a game-changer for your overall well-being.

When you prioritize rest, you’re not just passively burning calories; you’re setting the stage for balanced hormones, improved muscle recovery, and reduced stress.