Hey guys, Tara here for Dnews - and you know what sucks? Exercise. So what if there was

a way we could burn fat in our sleep? Well according to a new study published in the

journal Diabetes, there is - and all you have to do is turn your thermostat down!

A team of researchers from Virginia Commonwealth University conducted a study recently on how

different temperatures affect our metabolism when we’re sleeping. And they found that

prolonged exposure to mildly cold temperatures, is optimal in helping expand the amount of

brown fat in our bodies.

Now that might seem counterintuitive, but remember that brown fat, unlike white fat,

is actually good for you. White fat is basically large droplets of fat that your body uses

to store energy. Brown fat consists of much tinier droplets - that are packed with mitochondria,

which contain iron and give the fat its brown color. But unlike white fat, which stores

calories, brown fat actually burns calories. That’s why infants, and animals that hibernate,

have much more of it than regular adults. It allows their bodies to generate enough

heat to keep them warm.

It used to be thought that brown fat disappears by adulthood - but now, scientists are realizing

that many of us do contain trace amounts - maybe 2 to 3 ounces, for every 20 pounds of white

fat - but adults who have more of it, tend to be leaner.

It makes sense, then, that we’d want more brown fat - to burn off our excess stores

of white fat. Which is exactly what sleeping in the cold does.

For this study, researchers recruited 5 male volunteers - and had them spend 4 consecutive

months sleeping in a temperature-controlled room. For the first month, they kept the thermostat

at 75 degrees F, followed by 66, 75, and 81 degrees, for the second, third, and fourth

months, respectively.

And they found that when subjects slept in the 66 degree room - their bodies produced

double the amount of brown fat, compared to the other 3 months. They also displayed better

insulin sensitivity, and better regulation and disposal of glucose - both of which are

known to reduce the risk of diabetes.

Of course this study was performed on HEALTHY volunteers, so it’s unclear how these conditions

might fare for someone who’s obese, but if anything - it’s an important proof of

concept. And it shows just how important of a role brown fat plays - in reducing our risk

for diabetes.

What do you guys think? What’s your ideal sleeping temperature? Personally, I prefer

a cool 67. But, I also sleep next to a 200-lb heat rock. So, I need that extra cold. Let

us know YOUR answers in the comments below, and as always - thank you guys for watching!