What is the best place to lose weight? The fitness experts will tell you it is the gym. Nutritionists will tell you it is the kitchen. We tell you it is the bedroom. You ask why?  Unless you are sleeping under a rock, you know that lack of sleep is directly linked to weight gain. Sleep deprivation has been linked to both calorie consumption and reduced energy expenditure.  But while you must be putting all that effort to get optimum sleep, here’s how you can sleep your way to slender.

Power with Protein

Whip up a protein-rich meal for your dinner to take your metabolism to an all-time high. Protein is more thermogenic than carbohydrates or fat, which means, your body burns more calories digesting it. Just be sure to keep your portion sizes in check. Eating a protein-rich evening snack may also increase your resting metabolic rate. You may also want to add some flax seeds to your smoothie for that dose of omega-3 fatty acids. What happens to your body when you skip meals? Here’s how you gain more weight by starving yourself.

Sleep In a Chilled Room

This may sound news but a study published in the journal Diabetes found that simply blasting the air conditioner can help reduce the belly fat while you sleep. In theory, your brown fat helps keep you warm, so when you are sleeping in a cold room, you are burning the belly fat working hard to keep you warm.

Keep Off the Lights

According to a study published in the American Journal of Epidemiology, you get the best sleep in a dark room and optimum sleep is directly linked to weight loss. So it can be a great idea to just keep the lights off. Studies suggest that people who sleep in dark rooms are more likely to get obese than those who let light in their rooms. Fast yoga or slow yoga: which is better for weight loss?

Set Yourself a Consistent Bedtime

Busy schedules, late-night movies, and high-tech gadgets can all wreak havoc on your sleep. Later bedtimes have been linked to several factors that promote weight gain, including more late-night snacking and a stronger preference for high-calorie foods.  According to the American Journal of Nutrition, you lose 20 percent more weight when you keep your sleeping schedule consistent.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Jul 15, 2019 04:03 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).