Good Question: Why Do We Weigh Less In The Morning?
MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) -- Have you ever weighed yourself at night and then again in the morning? You've likely noticed you're a few pounds lighter.
Rodney from St. Paul did, so he wanted to know: Why do we weigh less in the morning? Good Question.
When a person sleeps during the night, he or she is not usually eating or drinking. But, the body is still working hard breaking down the proteins, fats and carbohydrates a person has consumed throughout the day.
A lot of what people lose at night are carbon atoms and water.
"We lose it through breathing breathing and urination," says Ahsley Nusbaum, a nurse practicioner in the bariatric program at Hennepin County Medical Center.
When people sleep, they breathe out water vapor, which can be heavy. They also breathe out carbon dioxide and at least one researcher found those atoms can weigh up to one-half a pound.
The average person loses between one and three pounds per night – more if they sweat a lot.
"During the daytime, you are typically replacing what you lose through what you eat," says Nusbaum.
