Want to move more? Get your sleep first, researchers advise

But a new study led by scientists from Flinders University (Australia) shows that most people find it difficult to follow both recommendations at the same time, and it's the quality of sleep that can make the difference.

The work, published in the journal Communications Medicine, is based on an analysis of more than 28 million "health days " - real data collected from wearable devices from more than 70,000 people around the world. Nightly sleep duration and number of steps per day were assessed.

Fewer than 13% met both recommendations

The result was disappointing: less than 13% of participants consistently achieved both of the two widely promoted norms at the same time

• 7-9 hours of sleep per night

• and at least 8,000 steps a day.

Particularly alarming was the group of nearly 17% of participants who averaged less than 7 hours of sleep and walked fewer than 5,000 steps per day. This combination has been linked to an increased risk of chronic disease, weight gain and poorer mental health, according to previous studies.

Sleep has a stronger effect on movement than movement has on sleep

The lead author of the paper, PhD student Josh Fitton from the FHMRI Sleep Health Centre, notes: the analysis showed that sleep quality and duration had a stronger effect on physical activity levels the next day than vice versa.

"We found that a good night's sleep - especially high-quality sleep - sets the tone for a more active day," Fitton says. - People who slept well moved more the next day. But the extra number of steps during the day hardly improved sleep that night."

An interesting detail: maximum average activity was not associated with the longest sleep.

"Our data showed that the highest number of steps the next day was observed in those who slept about 6-7 hours," the researcher clarifies.

But he emphasises that this is no reason to deliberately cut back on sleep: quality is just as important as quantity. People whose "sleep efficiency" was higher - that is, they tossed less and woke up less often - remained more active during the day, even if they nominally slept less.

Are the current recommendations realistic?

The authors of the paper suggest that we need to think about whether current health standards are realistic for everyday life.

"Our results call into question the compatibility of widely advertised sleep and activity recommendations with real life," Fitton notes. - 'We see how difficult it is for most people to meet both standards at the same time. "This means we need to rethink exactly how we formulate and combine these recommendations and how we can help people meet them in the 'real' world, rather than the ideal world."

Sleep first

The paper's senior author, Professor Danny Eckert, believes that for people who are trying to balance work, family and other commitments, adjusting sleep can be the first and most effective step to a more active life.

"Prioritising sleep may be the most effective way to increase energy, motivation and movement," he says. - Simple steps - reducing screen time before bed, having a consistent bedtime and rise time, and creating a calm bedroom environment - can already make a noticeable difference."

The scientists emphasise that sleep is not a passive state, but an active factor that largely determines how well a person is able to lead a healthy and mobile life.