Your body comprises about 55–75% water, which accounts for a significant proportion of your weight ( 2 , 3 ). According to some estimates, over 80% of overnight weight loss may be due to water loss. That said, how much you lose while sleeping varies depending on your body composition and metabolic rate ( 4 ).
On average, you sweat about 25ml per hour of sleep under temperate conditions (around 85 degrees Fahrenheit). ² If you sleep for an average of eight hours, that's around 200ml of sweat per night. This would equate to a drop in weight of approximately 200g overnight.
People often weigh less in the morning because they lose water throughout the night as they breathe and sweat. That said, individuals do burn calories during the night. However, the loss of water weight is more significant than the loss of fat.
Water makes up 60% of your body weight, and it's one of the first things you lose. Weight decreases as a change in muscle, fat and water. Fat mass doesn't change quickly, but you can lose as much as five pounds of water in a day. The average 24-hour urine loss is about 1.8-4.4 pounds because water is heavy.
The length of time that it takes to lose water weight depends on how much water you're retaining, the cause of the water weight gain, and the action taken to lose it. If you have one high-sodium meal and then return to normal, healthy dietary habits, you'll likely return to your normal weight in 1-2 days.
Is it possible to lose 5 pounds or more overnight? Yes, it is and it can be done safely by naturally reducing the amount of water your body retains but make no mistake that the weight loss will be mostly temporary.
When you go on diet that either restricts your caloric intake too much or cuts out an entire category of food, like a zero-carb diet, it's possible to see the scale go down by five to 10 pounds in one week, but Dr. March says that's usually not real fat loss; it's water.
If you press on your skin and an indentation stays there for a couple of seconds, that's a sign you have water weight. One way to check if you're retaining water is to press on swollen skin. If there's an indention that stays for a little while, that's a sign that you could be retaining water.
There is no definite way though, but if your weight is fluctuating a lot and you are losing weight really quickly, it's most likely water weight. On the other hand, if you are losing weight slowly while following a healthy diet and exercise regimen, your body has started to look leaner, you are losing fat.
If you push on your skin with your finger or thumb and your skin remains depressed, you're probably experiencing water retention. Fat cells are more springy, so the skin will bounce back. Do you feel bloated after eating?
You Lost Water Weight
When we break down these molecules, we release water—which is excreted through our urine and sweat, which is what causes the weight loss you experience in your sleep. This effect can be substantial if you're low-carb sleeping or not drinking much water throughout the day.
“Everyone's weight fluctuates throughout the day, and especially from morning to night,” says dietitian Anne Danahy, MS, RDN. “The average change is 2 to 5 pounds, and it's due to fluid shifts throughout the day.” If you see fluctuations of less than 5 pounds, you needn't worry.
The main thing that is changing overnight is the amount of water in your system. It's amazing how much water weighs! A gallon of water weighs 8 pounds, and a pint of water (16 ounces) weighs 1 pound (in metric, 1 liter of water weighs 1 kilogram).
How Much Weight Do You Lose At Night? Overnight, you might observe that you lose between one to three pounds. This weight loss could be due to the water you lose through sweating and urination; and carbon loss. Our weight is usually dynamic, so it doesn't stay at one figure throughout the day.
In addition to an oily appearance, your urine might also have a milky white color. This is due to the presence of fat and protein in lymph fluid.
For example, going on a low carb diet, or cutting your carbs way back, triggers the loss of glycogen and the water stored with it, and if extreme, can also be dehydrating. Just two cups (16 oz) of water weigh one pound, so shedding fluid fast can result in weighing a lot less on the scale.
Some people say that water retention feels “squishier” than body fat. Others say that for the abdominal region in particular, you can “test” by pulling the skin away from your body and releasing it. If the area “ripples” as the skin returns to your body, you may be dealing with excess water retention.
Symptoms of water retention
bloating, especially in the abdominal area. swollen legs, feet, and ankles. puffiness of the abdomen, face, and hips.
Extra water is typically stored all over your body in the tissue or between blood vessels, and tends to pool in the extremities (fingers, toes and lower legs).
The first week you're on a diet, almost 70 percent of weight loss is water, Clayton says, a rate which drops to about 20 to 30 percent over a couple of weeks and then stabilizes as your body starts tapping into fat stores.
Water makes up 60% of your body weight, and it's one of the first things you lose. Fat mass doesn't change overnight, but you can lose as much as five pounds of water in a day.
Aim for 64 ounces a day (it's a good goal for all of us, even if specific needs vary) and of course, skip the soda.