Recent research suggests that the allocation of time to sleep, physical activity, and sedentary behavior over a 24-hour period influences long-term health, and that attaining adequate levels of both sleep and physical activity is essential for healthy aging.
A recent study published in Communications MedicineTrusted Source found that only 12.9% of individuals simultaneously attain the recommended 8,000 daily steps and 7-9 hours of sleep.
Moreover, the study showed that a lack of adequate sleep had a negative impact on physical activity the following day. These results suggest that obtaining adequate sleep could help improve physical activity levels.
Study’s author Josh Fitton, a doctoral researcher at Flinders University, in Australia, told Medical News Today, “We demonstrate in our large multinational sample that only a small fraction of people are able to attain sufficient sleep and adequate physical activity on a routine basis.”
“In light of this, we stress the importance of considering the real-world compatibility of prominent public health guidelines related to sleep and physical activity,” he added.
Studies have shown that both adequate sleep and physical activity are essential for maintaining optimal mental and physical health.
Lack of adequate physical activity and insufficient sleep have been independently shown to be associated with an increased risk of depression, obesity, diabetes, cardiovascular conditions, inflammation, and all-cause mortality.
The present study used health monitoring data collected over 3.5 years from 70,963 individuals residing in 244 geographical regions.
These individuals were users of consumer health tracking devices in the form of an under-mattress sleep sensor and a fitness tracker.
Based on data collected by the sleep sensor, the researchers calculated sleep duration, sleep onset, and sleep efficiency, a measure of time spent sleeping while in bed.
The researchers found that only 12.9% of the participants obtained 7-9 hours of sleep and also achieved at least 8,000 daily steps.
In contrast, 16.5% of participants simultaneously averaged less than 7 hours of sleep and 5,000 steps daily, the upper threshold for sedentary behavior. Furthermore, about 64% of individuals failed to achieve a combination of 7-9 hours of sleep and at least 5,000 daily steps.
