Chances are you know that your metabolism drastically slows down at night. This happens because you’re resting and you’re not exercising or moving around, which keeps your metabolism elevated.
What if your body could burn fat deep into the night just as efficiently as it does during the day? You’d reach your weight goal sooner. Wouldn’t you?
It’s possible! You just have to make a few changes in your night routines.
Here are a few things, tested and proven, that if done before bed, will keep your body’s metabolism elevated all night.
How to Boost Your Metabolism Before Bed
1. Eat A Grapefruit
Grapefruits contain some of the highest Vitamin C levels among fruits. Vitamin C is very efficient in regulating metabolism by helping break down complex carbohydrates and sugars.
Additionally, grapefruit is one of those fruits you can eat before bed without your waistline expanding.
As a matter of fact, it is good for your waistline because it keeps insulin levels low. Low insulin levels result in less craving for food, which prevents nighttime snacking.
A team of researchers set out to find the impact of grapefruit on the metabolism of 91 obese patients. They randomly gave the men the grapefruit, grapefruit juice, grapefruit capsules and to the last group was given placebos.
At the end of the 12 weeks of study, the men who only took half a grapefruit had not only lost more weight but had better metabolism and insulin resistance.
2. Eat Enough for Dinner
Only go to bed when have eaten enough to get your metabolism going. Do not eat too little or worse, go to bed without eating dinner. You probably know that skipping dinner increases the chances of nighttime bingeing.
Neither do you want to wake up too hungry and overeat during breakfast. Therefore, eat enough food so you also don’t have to snack before bedtime.
Eating enough dinner gives your body something to work on while you sleep.
3. Lower Your Bedroom Temperature
Who would have thought your room temperature would actually have something to do with your metabolism! But it does.
According to this study, men who slept in a cooler room recorded much better metabolic rates than their counterparts who slept in warmer rooms. They also showed better insulin sensitivity. The optimal temperature, according to this study, is 66 degrees.
The rationale behind this is, when the room is cooler, your body has to work much harder to produce energy and make you warmer. In the course of this, it metabolizes more fat and burns more calories.
Better reach for that thermostat before you go to bed if you want to see better results!
4. Go to Bed Early
The impact that the quality and quantity of sleep have on your metabolic rates can never be overemphasized. Go to sleep early if you wish to see an improvement in your metabolism and while at it, make sure you sleep for eight hours.
A study by a team of researchers at Pennsylvania State University showed that being deprived of sleep could result in weight gain, obesity, and diabetes. Being well-rested, on the other hand, has the opposite effect.
Therefore, if you are one to binge-watch movies through the night, find in your heart (and your waistline) to keep the remote aside and go to bed early. Staying up late might also lead to unhealthy snacking.
5. Cook Dinner with Coconut Oil
Since dinner is hopefully the last meal you take before heading to bed, your metabolic rates will respond better if you prepare it using coconut oil.
What makes coconut oil special? It contains medium-chain fats, which increase metabolism by up to 12%. According to a recent study, long-chain fats like butter can only increase metabolism by just 4%.
While you might not be able to replace all your cooking fats with coconut oil due to its unique aroma, use it for cooking most of your dinners.
6. Eat Small Meals Through the Day
You can eat up to six small dishes throughout the day. It will keep your metabolism on its feet throughout the day, and long after you have gone to sleep.
Make sure the foods you eat are healthy and stick to your ideal daily caloric intake.
Eating these small meals will also ensure you have no cravings after dinner.
7. Spice it Up
Adding pepper to your food raises your body’s core temperature, thus boosting metabolism according to this study. Peppers contain capsaicin that has been linked to improved metabolism.
Cayenne, black and white pepper are some types of pepper that are so easy to incorporate into your meal and can burn up to 10 more calories per meal.
Besides pepper, cinnamon also boosts metabolism, on top of helping you relax and fall asleep faster.
8. Snack on Cottage Cheese Before Bed
While it is generally not advisable to eat too close to bedtime, it is more about the kind of food you eat before going to sleep.
Some foods will actually help you have a good night’s sleep and one such food is cottage cheese.
Cottage cheese is rich in tryptophan which induces sleep and suppresses stress levels, resulting in higher metabolism rates as you sleep.
9. Maximize on Strength Training
Few things are as good at boosting metabolism as good old resistance training. Resistance training increases muscle mass, which consequently skyrockets your resting metabolic rate.
In fact, strength training can keep your metabolism elevated for up to 16 hours after the workout.
However, avoid working out right before going to bed as that can make it harder to fall asleep. Do these short fat-burning workouts every day to build muscle.
10. Do Some Cardio
Combining cardio and strength training is an excellent way to boost your metabolism before bed. You can simply run up and down the stairs twice a week for your cardio workouts.
Even better, take on this stair climbing challenge.
11. Stretch 5 Minutes Before Bed
How about you incorporate a five-minute stretching workout into your pre-sleep rituals? It will work wonders on your metabolism. It does not even have to be something so tasking.
Simple hip flexor and hamstring stretches will boost your metabolism before bed while increasing relaxation.
12. Eat More Whole Grains and Protein
Not only does protein boost metabolism, but it also helps burn up to 100 more calories daily.
Ensure your dinner packs protein and high-fiber, which you can get from whole grains.
Whole grains are laden with fiber, which is filling and will not have you waking up to eat or waking up famished.
Final Word
Sleep is an all-important determinant of your weight loss success. Healthy pre-bed rituals will lead to quality sleep and boost your metabolism before bed.
Frankly, building muscle is the most effective way to keep your metabolism elevated all the time. Luckily, you can build lean muscle without doing bone-crushing workouts or even going to the gym.
Start doing these stunningly simple home workouts to build muscle fast.
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