How to lose weight: Changing how you sleep is a 'power move' to reduce belly fat

While diet, exercise and genetics play a big part in weight management, lifestyle factors, like stress and sleep, are also important to watch.

Registered dietician Jennifer Pallian (BSc Food, Nutrition and Health, RD), said: "Sleep is a major player in the belly fat game.

"Research shows that the amount and quality of sleep we get is closely linked to visceral fat levels. If you're not getting enough sleep, you're more likely to accumulate visceral fat.

"Ideally, around eight hours of sleep a night is best. Those who sleep less consistently tend to have more belly fat, even when diet and exercise are accounted for."

Many Britons are left tossing and turning at night, but making an effort to sleep more could supercharge your weight loss results.

Sleep quality is also important. The expert continued: "It's not just about sleep duration - poor sleep quality also plays a role.

"People with poor sleep quality tend to have more belly fat, even if their total body fat doesn’t change.

"This might be because poor sleep messes with our hormones, like increasing leptin levels, which can encourage fat storage.

"If that wasn’t enough, bad sleep can make stress worse, leading to even more belly fat."

While sleep can impact your weight, there are some ways to improve the quality of your rest, according to the expert.

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Jennifer added: "So, how do we fix this? Well, creating a consistent sleep schedule, minimising screen time before bed, and managing stress are great ways to improve both the quality and quantity of sleep.

"Taking care of your sleep can be a power move for reducing belly fat and improving your health overall."

For more slimming advice, the expert suggested dieters ditch sugary drinks, adding "it's a game-changer for burning fat".