11 Bedtime Routines to Help You Lose Weight

Last updated on : June 24 2021

Introduction

Did you know that nighttime plays a pivotal role in helping you meet your weight loss goals? There is an intrinsic connection between your weight and how well you sleep, and vice versa. 

Getting more or less sleep than the recommended amount may lead to weight gain, according to a Brigham Young University study. The study suggests that heading to bed consistently at the same time every night may help keep your body fat under control. 

The right amount of sleep matters too. Most of us need between 6.5 to 8.5 hours of sleep every single night for our bodies to recover from our daily activities. 

If you are struggling to lose the extra pounds or want a more defined waistline, then simple adjustments to your bedtime routine may jumpstart your goals.

Here are some steps that might help.

1. Brush Your Teeth After Dinner

A significant weight loss mistake is the midnight or late evening snack.

If you crave something sweet or something to munch on late at night or just before bed, then deal with this craving by brushing your teeth post-dinner.

Brushing your teeth directly after dinner works on a psychological level. It tells your brain that you have finished eating for the day. 

Other than doing wonders for your dental hygiene, this simple trick helps discourage your late-night eating habit. Because your body begins to recognize that after you brush your teeth, you are done eating for the day. 

Furthermore, most toothpaste varieties leave a slightly sweet and minty fresh taste in your mouth. And this may serve to curb your craving for something sweet.

2. Light A Candle

Just like certain fragrances cause your taste buds to tingle and make you hungry, some scents work to suppress your appetite and can help you achieve your weight loss goals. 

According to the Journal of Neurological and Orthopedic Medicine, scents like peppermint, banana, vanilla, and green apple are proven to have this effect.

Fill your bedroom with a slimming scent by lighting a minty candle or burning incense sticks as you settle in for the night. 

If you're afraid of falling asleep with a candle burning, try a peppermint or vanilla oil that you can spritz onto your pillow. 

These relaxing fragrances help you sleep better and are proven to help you ward off the need for snacking throughout the night.

3. Drink Some Tea

There are so many good reasons why people around the globe love tea. This hot beverage has a host of benefits to offer you, including better sleep quality and faster weight loss. 

When choosing the best tea to drink, consider a decaffeinated green tea. Green tea has proven to boost your metabolic rate and burn fat.

Try having a cup of decaffeinated chamomile green tea as a part of your bedtime routine. Not only will the hot tea help you relax, but the chamomile may help you sleep better.

4. Black Out Your Room

Most of us have cultivated a habit of leaving at least a night light on through the night. 

However, studies show that even dim light can hamper your sleep and your weight loss goals. 

According to research, those who sleep in dimly lit rooms end up putting on more weight compared to those who sleep in darkened rooms.

Even dim lights can throw off your internal clock, messing with your eating schedule and leading to weight gain. 

Ensure that your room is completely dark when you tuck yourself into bed for the night.

5. Snack on Yogurt

One of the best ways to lose weight is to concentrate on building your lean muscle mass. 

Lean mass helps to increase your rate of metabolism, so you burn more calories doing the same things that you have always done. Before you go to sleep, drink a glass of milk or enjoy a serving of yogurt.

If you are a fitness fanatic, a protein smoothie is also a viable option.

Dairy is rich in casein, a type of protein that is slow to digest. Ingesting casein before you go to bed helps your muscles reconstruct and regroup with amino acids, ensuring your body can work on building lean mass all night long.

6. Cool Down Your Bedroom

Did you know that your body contains two types of fat? White fat stores calories, and brown fat burns calories. Your brown fat is also the one responsible for ensuring that your body stays regulated and at the right temperature. 

So how can you manipulate your brown fat to work harder and burn more calories?

By making your body temperature drop a little bit while you sleep, of course. 

Adjust the thermostat or power up the air conditioner so that your bedroom temperature is on the cooler side. A cooler bedroom makes your body temperature drop and forces your brown fat to burn some calories while you sleep.

A cooler bedroom should also boost your metabolic rate and improve your insulin usage, which reduces sugar cravings.

7. Say Goodnight to Your Gadgets

Most of us cuddle up with our smartphones when it is time for bed, scrolling through endless streams of posts and shares on Facebook or other social media sites. 

There is plenty of research to show that the blue light emanating from your smartphone or iPad reduces the melatonin levels of your body—melatonin is a chemical that helps you drift off to sleep. 

Recent research from the University of Granada also proves that a lowered melatonin level results in an increase in weight. 

So say goodnight and power down your devices, at least half an hour before bedtime to get your best sleep and rest.

8. Resistance Training Before Bed

According to a study published in the International Journal of Sports Nutrition, those who indulge in resistance training exercise have a higher metabolic rate while resting. And this last for about 16 hours post their workout. 

If you generally work out in the mornings, your body is less likely to be able to use that metabolic spike to its fullest. Consider switching your workout time to the night instead. 

Performing resistance training exercises before you hit the bed help you meet your weight loss goals faster. Additionally, you’ll be tired and fall asleep more quickly.

Even a late night cardio session or a walk around the block helps you burn belly fat more effectively. 

If you don't like the idea of getting dressed and heading to the gym before bedtime, consider doing some bodyweight exercises like push-ups, dips, or squats at home before you sleep.

9. Add Black Pepper to Your Dinner

Studies show that black pepper aids in weight loss.

So make your body burn fat while you sleep by adding some pepper to your dinner. 

Also, add a dash or two of pepper to your casein-rich pre-bedtime snack (yogurt or cottage cheese). A diet rich in pepper helps eliminate fat at a faster rate than most other foods.

Black pepper is also known for supporting your digestive health and protecting your intestinal tract. It has proven to soothe colds, promote healthy skin, and even fight cancer. 

10. Plan Your Meals

Even with the best of intentions, most of us forget to carry lunch from home. Sometimes waking up in the morning and trying to whip something up for lunch might not be the most convenient plan. 

Instead, prep your meals to help you achieve your weight loss goals.

Consider using meal preps that are perfect for weight loss to create a week’s worth of ready meals over the weekend, or add a small amount of prep to your bedtime routine. 

Restaurant food tends to have way more calories than a mindfully prepared meal at home.  Prep your lunch, and maybe even make a serving of oats for breakfast the next day – after a good nights sleep, you will be thankful.

11. Avoid Nightcaps

Research suggests that a glass of wine after dinner can do you a world of good. However, it is important to remember that wine contains plenty of sugar which makes it that much more difficult for you to relax enough to go to sleep. 

Furthermore, the calories in alcoholic drinks often lead to the munchies, which is terrible for your weight loss plan.

Skip the nightcap, and if you want to indulge in a glass of wine, do it an hour or two before bedtime. 

Just have a warm glass of milk or some green tea instead to keep your weight loss meter ticking is a reliable replacement.

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Summary

With these 11 super additions to your bedtime routine, losing those extra pounds is a breeze. The key is establishing a method that gets your body in the habit of not eating too late and utilizing energy in more balanced ways. Learning new habits isn't easy but is doable.  

Combine these efforts with a diet of natural fat burning foods to give your weight loss a boost.