Quick answer: Yes. Your body uses energy while you nap because breathing, circulation and other functions continue. That energy use is part of your normal daily expenditure; taking a nap is not a reliable weight-loss strategy or a substitute for physical activity.
How many calories do you burn during a nap?
The amount differs by person and cannot be calculated precisely from nap length alone. As a simple illustration, someone whose estimated resting energy expenditure is 1,600 calories per day would use roughly 33 calories in 30 minutes if that rate stayed constant: 1,600 ÷ 48. Actual sleeping energy expenditure varies, and a resting estimate is not a direct measurement of a particular nap.
Those are total calories used during the nap, not extra calories gained by napping. You would also use energy while resting awake. Studies show that sleeping metabolic rate can differ from basal metabolic rate and varies between people; see this research on overnight metabolism.
What affects the estimate?
- Body size and composition: Energy needs differ between individuals.
- Age and health: Metabolism changes across the life course and can be affected by health conditions.
- Duration: More time asleep generally means more total energy used, but it does not mean you burned more than you would have during another activity.
- Sleep and environment: Sleep stages and conditions may affect energy use, but consumer estimates cannot reliably measure a particular nap’s calorie burn.
Can napping help with weight loss?
Napping alone should not be treated as a way to create a calorie deficit. Adequate sleep is important for health, and a short nap may improve alertness for some people, but it does not reliably balance appetite hormones or cause weight loss. A nap can also displace time that might otherwise be spent in a more active task.
There is no need to eat a particular snack before a nap or make a room uncomfortably cold to try to burn more calories. Choose a comfortable sleep environment and make food and exercise decisions based on your broader needs.
How to make a nap work for you
If you have trouble falling asleep at night, keep naps earlier and shorter. For more on how sleep duration varies among adults, see is seven hours of sleep enough? The National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute suggests adults who have trouble sleeping at night limit naps to no more than 20 minutes. Individual needs vary; a short nap does not replace sufficient nighttime sleep.
Frequently asked questions
Do you burn calories while asleep?
Yes. Essential processes continue to use energy during sleep.
How many calories does a one-hour nap burn?
There is no universal number. An estimate depends on resting energy needs and does not directly measure the energy used during that hour.
Does a colder room make naps a useful weight-loss tool?
There is no good reason to rely on a cold room for nap-related weight loss. Set the room to a temperature that lets you sleep comfortably.