Will Drinking Water Before Bed Help You Lose Weight?

When you're looking to choose the best beverage, you can't beat water. It's readily available, fairly inexpensive and calorie-free. Plus, it helps keep you hydrated and prevents constipation, and carries nutrients and oxygen to your cells. If you're trying to lose weight, water may help. But drinking it before bed may not be the best time. Consult your doctor before embarking on any weight-loss journey.

Drinking a glass of water before meals may help fill you up so you eat less. (Image: Thinkstock Images/Stockbyte/Getty Images)

Water and Weight Loss

Making water a part of your weight-loss plan may help. A study published in Obesity in 2008 investigated the associations of water intake on weight loss in a group of overweight women. The study found that drinking more water helped promote weight and fat loss in the women, independent of their diet and exercise habits. The authors of the study suggest that drinking water may aid in your weigh- loss efforts by helping you eat fewer calories and possibly altering your metabolism.

Water Needs

Your daily water needs vary and depend on your diet, activity, environment and health. Healthy adults need at least 8 to 12 cups of water a day to prevent dehydration and replace the water losses from sweat, urine, bowel movements and breathing, says the Clemson Cooperative Extension. Drink 1 quart of water for every 50 pounds of body weight -- 3 quarts of water for a 150-pound person.

Water Before Bed

Drinking water may be helpful for weight loss, but drinking it before bed may thwart your efforts. Water before bed may disrupt your sleep due to a late-night or early-morning trip to the bathroom. Not getting enough sleep at night may increase your appetite and your desire for foods high in fat and sugar, warns the University of Washington. Poor sleep also increases stress levels and may affect your health.

When to Drink Water for Weight Loss

Drinking a glass before a meal or snack may help fill you up so you eat less, helping decrease your overall calorie intake for weight loss, says the University of Washington. Dehydration increases your appetite, so drinking water regularly throughout the day helps keep you hydrated and your appetite under control. Fill up a 64-ounce reusable bottle in the morning and drink from it regularly throughout the day.