Does working overnight cause weight gain?

Author: Sister Lebsack  |  Last update: Thursday, September 25, 2025

Disrupting your circadian clock increases your risk for weight gain because it decreases your resting metabolic rate. This can make you feel more stressed, moody, less energetic, and it signals your body to hang on tightly to fat.

Does overnight shift cause weight gain?

Some authors observed a positive relationship between night work or shifts with the increased body mass index (BMI), and this is significantly greater compared to the day shift workers [8, 9].

How to lose weight if you work night shift?

Healthy habits for night shift workers leads to weight loss
  1. Stay away from soda's and artificial sweetener.
  2. Invest in a slow cooker and prepare your meals in advance.
  3. Clear your home of unhealthy snacks.
  4. Dedicate 15 minutes to stretching your body per day.
  5. Work on a sleep schedule.
  6. Explore oil- free cooking methods.

What happens to your body when you work overnight?

Shift work that alters your circadian rhythm can disrupt the balance of your hormones, which guide your metabolism. Shift work increases your risk for metabolic disorders because it's associated with: Higher BMI than day-shift workers. Hormonal imbalance, which affects your appetite, food intake and body weight.

Is it normal to gain 7 pounds overnight?

Either water or food you're eating. Almost certainly not just muscle mass. But yes it's very normal for your weight to fluctuate from morning to night depending on what is going in and out of your body.

Night shift health tips. Is fat gain unavoidable? (The studies)

How to flush out water weight?

  1. Exercise Regularly. Daily exercise provides several health benefits, including preventing water retention. ...
  2. Drink More Water. Drinking water to reduce water weight sounds counterintuitive, but it helps. ...
  3. Manage Salt Intake. ...
  4. Cut Carbs. ...
  5. Focus on Certain Foods and Herbs. ...
  6. Try Supplements. ...
  7. Up Your Caffeine Intake.

Why am I gaining weight when I'm working out?

But the reason for it is simple: Weight training builds lean muscle mass, which is denser than body fat. A pound of lean muscle mass and a pound of body fat tissue might weigh the same, but they take up different amounts of space.

Do night shifts age you?

Preliminary findings have underlined a possible relationship between shift work and aging by showing an association between duration of NS work and reduced telomere length [5,6], although its use as a potential index of biological aging is still controversial [7].

Is working night shift unhealthy?

Research shows that night shift workers have a higher incidence of serious health conditions such as Type 2 diabetes, heart attack, stroke, obesity, heart disease, pregnancy complications and certain cancers, including colorectal cancer. Insomnia and other sleep disorders are also common.

What is the healthiest shift pattern to work?

For many, the optimal choice is a 24-hour rotating shift. It's preferable to rotate forward through day, afternoon, and night shifts rather than backward (night, afternoon, then day).

How not to gain weight on night shift?

Here are 10 tips specific to your schedule to help you keep the weight off and the ways that the night shift affects your body.
  1. Prioritize Sleep. ...
  2. Pack Nutrient-Dense Snacks. ...
  3. Don't Skimp On Exercise. ...
  4. Don't Abuse Caffeinated Drinks. ...
  5. Lay Off Sugary Drinks and Snacks. ...
  6. Set Up a Regular Schedule for Your Meals. ...
  7. Get Your Vitamin D.

How to stop night shift bloat?

Do
  1. exercise regularly to improve your digestion and help prevent bloating – exercise can also help when you're feeling bloated.
  2. chew with your mouth closed to avoid swallowing air.
  3. drink plenty of water.
  4. eat foods high in fibre if constipated.
  5. eat smaller, more frequent meals instead of large meals.

When should I weigh myself after night shift?

The best time to weigh yourself is first thing in the morning after you've gone to the restroom but before you eat or drink anything. The reason for this is that your body has had enough time to digest all the food and drinks you've consumed from the day before all while you were getting your beauty sleep.

Does night shift slow metabolism?

At night, metabolic rate slows down, and anabolism is favored. However, during nightshift, the working body is challenged with high-energy requirements. With food intake, there is an additional challenge in digestion and assimilation.

Why did I gain so much fat overnight?

‍What causes overnight weight gain? True weight gain happens when we consume more calories than our body uses, and then this surplus of energy is stored as fat. [5] We might temporarily gain weight, though, if there's a change in the body that fleetingly makes us heavier—for example, being bloated.

How much weight comes off overnight?

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.

How many hours of sleep is healthy for night shift workers?

It's important to get at least seven to nine hours of sleep every day. If you're a shift worker, you must make sleep a priority. The following tips can help: Follow bedtime rituals and try to keep a regular sleep schedule, even on weekends and days off from work.

Does working night shift make you gain weight?

Shift work can be physically and mentally demanding, leading to increased stress levels. Chronic stress can disrupt your hormonal balance, leading to increased cravings for comfort foods, and promote emotional eating as a coping mechanism. Again, these factors can contribute to weight gain over time.

Does night shift cause hair loss?

Hair fall due to night shifts could be linked to disrupted sleep patterns and stress. Prioritize adequate rest, maintain a balanced diet, and consider incorporating scalp massages and hair masks to nourish and strengthen your hair.

Does night shift mess up your body?

Night shift work increases the risk of developing diabetes, heart disease, and obesity. It disrupts the body's circadian rhythms—the 24-hour internal “clock” that controls when you sleep and wake. Studies have shown that eating at night alters the body's metabolism.

Do shift workers get dementia?

Compared with non-night shift workers, shift workers with durations of 1–9 years (HR: 1.1, 95% CI, 0.99–1.28), 10–19 years (HR: 1.13, 95% CI, 0.88–1.28), and 20 or more years (HR: 1.15, 95% CI, 0.96–1.34) had a mildly increased risk of dementia, although without statistical significance.

How long does it take to recover from working night shift?

Recovery after night shift can differ from person to person, and sometimes you can feel more fatigued on your first day off than you did on your last night shift. It may take 2-4 days to feel fully recovered from night shift, depending on how many shifts you do in a row, and on your ability to sleep between shifts.

Why am I gaining weight if I barely eat?

If you're asking yourself, “Why am I gaining weight when I barely eat,” several factors may be at play. Your body may be holding onto fat stores if your eating habits are inconsistent or restricted. Or, your weight gain may be the effect of a sedentary lifestyle, medical condition, or long-term stress.

Why am I gaining belly fat while working out?

This is because exercise—especially higher-intensity exercise—can produce a temporary inflammatory response in your body. This can also trigger temporary water retention.

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