Early Birds Get the Burn: Why Your 9PM Bedtime Might Be the Secret to Better Workouts
Early Birds Get the Burn:A new study has found that going to bed earlier, not just sleeping more but shifting your sleep timing, can significantly boost your physical activity the next day.
Researchers tracked nearly 20,000 people for an entire year using WHOOP bands-a kind of high-tech wrist confessional that records everything from when you hit the pillow to how hard you hustle during your workouts.
They found that people who typically went to bed around 9pm logged about 30 more minutes of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity the next day than those who crashed at 1am. Even compared to folks who hit the bed at 11pm, those early sleepers still managed 15 more minutes of heart-pumping movement.
That may not sound like a big deal at first. But add it up over weeks, months, or years, and we’re talking a serious edge in fitness, stamina, and probably smug self-satisfaction.
Is there something magical about 9pm?
Not quite. According to Dr Josh Leota, lead author and psychologist at Monash University, it’s all about alignment. People who stay up late often find their natural body clocks clashing with conventional 9-to-5 routines. This mismatch, called “social je means poor sleep quality, groggy mornings, and about as much motivation for a morning jog as a root canal.
By contrast, people who sleep early and wake in sync with daytime schedules tend to feel better, move more, and have more energy to actually do things-like go for a run, hit the gym, or even just walk the dog without resenting it.
The effect wasn’t just limited to night owls versus early birds. When people shifted their sleep earlier than usual while keeping the same amount of sleep, their physical activity the next day went up.
To make sure this wasn’t a fluke, the team at Monash University validated their findings with another large dataset-this time from nearly 6,000 Fitbit users in the All of Us Research Program. The results? Same pattern, different people. Across the board, earlier bedtimes predicted more movement the next day.
What does this mean for the rest of us?
If you’re trying to get fitter, healthier, or just feel less lethargic during your morning commute, it might be time to rethink those late-night scrolling sessions. No need to overhaul your entire life; just try nudging your bedtime earlier while keeping your usual sleep quota intact.
