TODAY

The idea that you can lose weight while you’re sleeping might seem out there, but a growing body of research shows that how and when we sleep, as well as what we do in the daytime beforehand can have an effect on our weight. Our natural day/night cycles, or circadian rhythms, signal the body when to enter deep sleep and when to be in active mode. By doing the right kind of exercise that continues to burn calories overnight and eating smaller meals, we can set up the body to burn calories more efficiently later, while we sleep.

When it’s time for rest, setting up the proper lighting and environment can make a big difference to help the body to burn fat during sleep, as it’s meant to do. Fitness expert Stephanie Mansour has some tips for which exercises to do and when, eating strategies and how to prepare your bedroom for sleep below.

See the tips

Whether you’re following a specific diet or no diet at all, having some healthy utility players in your fridge can increase the quality of all your meals. Look to lean proteins and vegetables to do the job, especially the ones that taste good whether you eat them alone or doctor them up in a dish.

Dietitian Keri Glassman suggests 17 low-carb, all-purpose foods that are good for your health and your palate, from grapefruit to Greek yogurt, raspberries to seeds. Read her recommendations and how you can use them for simple, fast snacks or meals.

Even when we know people’s names, why do we go for days without using them? By using someone’s name, you help them feel seen and acknowledged — and that’s an act of kindness. According to kindness.org’s research in collaboration with the University of Oxford, doing a kind act increases happiness, well-being, trust and compassion. And it can have the same powerful effect on those who receive the act. Try it, and put a smile on both your faces.