How many calories do I burn while I'm sleeping?
Asked by anonymous on Nov 18, 2008
in Weight Maintenance
Exactly what is my body using calories for in the middle of the night? I'm always scared that anything I eat before bed ends up just sitting in my stomach all night, or worse-turning to fat since I'm not burning it. What is the amount I can safely consume without giving my body more than it needs? Also, is food eaten in the evening not digested as well since you're not active at night?
Answer
While quietly sleeping, you would burn 42 calories per hour at your ideal weight of 115 lb. The calories are used to sustain your vital functions such as maintaining your internal temperature, pumping blood, repairing cells, etc. Food eaten in the evening is digested the same as food eaten at any other time because the work of digestion occurs all throughout the night. Physical activity is not needed for digestion.
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