Between sleep and exercise, choose sleep, research suggests
Studies have shown that physical activity and sleep influence each other over 24 hours, suggesting a need to optimize both to reduce the long-term risks of morbidity and mortality. A large, multinational study found that fewer than 13% of participants simultaneously met the recommended 8,000 daily steps and 7-9 hours of sleep. The study found that sleep duration influenced the number of steps the next day, but the number of steps had little impact on sleep quality or quantity. This study highlights the need for interventions that simultaneously increase sleep and physical activity levels, as the importance of adequate sleep is often overlooked.
