Large study of 20,000 people: Here's what happens to our bodies if we go to bed early

Photo: Getty Images

The old saying that “nothing good happens after midnight” seems to have more truth than we thought. A new study published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences finds that going to bed early is directly linked to more physical activity and, consequently, better health.

The data was collected from 19,963 adults who wore special devices on their wrists to monitor their sleep and movement habits. In total, over 5.9 million nights analyzed showed that people who went to bed around 9 p.m. were more physically active the next day, on average 30 minutes more compared to those who went to bed at 1 a.m. Even compared to those who went to bed at 11 p.m., the difference was significant: about 15 minutes more activity.

So, even though we all have the same 24 hours in a day, it turns out that how we use our sleep hours matters. Those who go to bed later are not necessarily lazier, it's just that the social routine of the day is structured to favor early risers. The researchers also found that even when people who normally go to bed late switched to an earlier schedule, their physical activity levels increased significantly the next day.

Since physical activity is linked to almost every possible health benefit, including slowing biological aging by several years, this is all the more reason to make peace with an early bedtime.

According to researchers, promoting sleep and physical activity should not be done separately, but in an integrated manner. In short: sleep earlier, move more, live longer.

_{Source: Inc.}