Burning calories is an important part of maintaining a healthy weight and lifestyle. Many people wonder whether activities like sleeping or watching TV burn a significant number of calories. Understanding how many calories these resting activities burn can help guide decisions about exercise and diet.
Quick Answers
Here are some quick answers to common questions about how many calories sleeping and watching TV burn:
- On average, a 155 pound person burns about 40-50 calories per hour while sleeping.
- Watching TV in a sitting position burns about 60-80 calories per hour for a 155 pound person.
- Sleeping requires less energy expenditure than watching TV since the metabolic rate slows down during sleep.
- Both sleeping and watching TV burn minimal calories compared to more active pursuits like exercise.
- Variables like weight, age, and gender impact exact calorie burn for these activities.
Calories Burned Sleeping
During sleep, the body goes into a relaxed state that requires less energy expenditure. However, the body is still carrying out essential functions like breathing, blood circulation, cell repair, and more. This basal metabolic activity continues to burn some calories overnight.
Research has found that the average person burns about 0.42 calories per minute while sleeping. For a 155 pound person, this equals about 40-50 calories burned per hour of sleep. Heavier people burn more calories during sleep, while lighter people burn fewer.
Calories burned during 8 hours of sleep for different weights:
- 100 lbs – 192 calories
- 120 lbs – 230 calories
- 140 lbs – 269 calories
- 160 lbs – 307 calories
- 180 lbs – 346 calories
As these estimates show, sleeping requires very minimal energy expenditure. While Sleep is essential for health, it does not burn a significant number of calories.
Factors That Impact Calories Burned Sleeping
Several factors account for differences in how many calories individual people burn during sleep:
- Body size – Heavier people burn more calories at rest than lighter people.
- Muscle mass – More muscle mass increases resting calorie burn.
- Age – Metabolism slows as we age, reducing calorie burn.
- Gender – Men tend to have more muscle mass and burn more calories during sleep.
- Pregnancy – Pregnant women may burn slightly more calories during sleep.
- Sleep stages – Light stages of sleep require more energy than deep REM sleep.
- Environment – Colder environments can increase calorie burn slightly.
While these factors create small variances, the differences in calories burned while sleeping are relatively small. Overall, sleeping burns minimal energy compared to active pursuits.
Calories Burned Watching TV
Watching television in a seated position is another common low energy activity. How many calories does watching TV burn compared to sleeping?
Studies show that watching television in a seated position burns between 60-80 calories per hour for a 155 pound person. This is around 20 more calories burned per hour compared to sleeping.
Here are estimates for how many calories an hour of TV watching burns for different weights:
- 100 lbs – 50 calories
- 120 lbs – 60 calories
- 140 lbs – 70 calories
- 160 lbs – 80 calories
- 180 lbs – 90 calories
Sitting up requires more muscle engagement and energy than lying down, leading to a slightly higher calorie burn. However, watching TV still represents a minimal calorie expenditure compared to physical activities.
Factors That Impact Calories Burned Watching TV
As with sleeping, certain variables impact the calories an individual will burn while seated and watching TV:
- Body size – Heavier people burn more calories.
- Age – Metabolism declines with age, reducing calorie burn.
- Gender – Men tend to burn more calories than women.
- Fitness level – More muscle mass increases resting calorie expenditure.
- Fidgeting – Small fidgeting movements can burn extra calories.
- Distractions – Activities like snacking or texting burn extra calories.
Overall though, watching seated TV does not represent a significant calorie burn for most people compared to more active tasks.
Sleeping vs. Watching TV: Calories Burned Comparison
When comparing sleeping versus watching TV, both represent low energy expenditures. However, watching TV in a seated position does burn slightly more calories than sleeping.
On average, a 155 pound person burns:
- 40-50 calories per hour sleeping
- 60-80 calories per hour watching seated TV
This approximates to a difference of 10-30 calories burned per hour. While watching TV technically burns more, the difference is minimal over the course of a day.
For example, the difference between 8 hours of sleep versus 8 hours sitting and watching TV would be:
- Sleeping – 320 to 400 calories
- Watching TV – 480 to 640 calories
So watching TV would burn about 160-240 more calories. However, this is still an insignificant amount of energy expenditure compared to active pursuits like exercise, sports, walking, and other movement.
Health Impact of Watching TV vs. Sleeping
While watching TV may burn slightly more calories than sleeping, both represent inactivity. Extended inactivity has been linked to negative health outcomes like:
- Weight gain and obesity
- Increase risk of heart disease
- Higher cholesterol and blood pressure
- Increased insulin resistance and diabetes risk
- Loss of muscle mass and bone density
- Joint stiffness and pain
Conversely, adequate sleep is extremely beneficial for health:
- Boosts immune function
- Supports cognitive function and mental health
- Promotes physical recovery and repair
- Reduces inflammation
- Lowers stress hormones like cortisol
So from a health perspective, sleep provides vital rest and recovery while watching excessive TV is linked to chronic disease risk. A balance between restful sleep and some daily physical activity is ideal.
Increasing Calorie Burn Through Activity
While watching TV burns slightly more calories than sleeping, both represent very low calorie expenditures. To increase calorie burn and improve metabolic health, it is important to engage in regular physical activity as well.
Here are some examples of calorie burn per hour for a 155 pound person engaging in different activities:
| Activity | Calories burned per hour |
|---|---|
| Sleeping | 40-50 calories |
| Watching TV (seated) | 60-80 calories |
| Desk work | 80-100 calories |
| Walking (2 mph) | 167-200 calories |
| Light cycling (10 mph) | 290 calories |
| Swimming (leisurely) | 300 calories |
| Running (5 mph) | 355 calories |
| High intensity cycling (16 mph) | 600 calories |
As the data shows, increasing the intensity of an activity dramatically boosts calorie expenditure. While sleeping and watching TV burn minimal calories, engaging in vigorous exercise for even 30 minutes a day can burn 200 or more extra calories.
Both cardio and strength training provide excellent metabolic benefits:
- Cardio – Burns more calories directly during the activity. Best for weight loss.
- Strength training – Builds muscle mass which increases resting calorie burn. Best for long-term metabolism and fitness.
Incorporating both types of exercise, along with adequate sleep and limited sedentary TV watching, is the best formula for increasing calorie burn and maintaining health.
Conclusion
In conclusion, watching TV in a seated position technically burns more calories than sleeping – approximately 60-80 versus 40-50 calories per hour for an average adult. However, the difference in calorie expenditure is relatively small.
Engaging in vigorous exercise and physical activities can burn hundreds more calories per hour. While adequate rest is important, limiting sedentary behaviors and increasing activity levels is the most effective way to boost calorie expenditure.
A healthy balance of quality sleep, limited TV watching, and regular exercise is ideal for burning calories, maintaining fitness, and supporting overall health.
