Getting enough sleep may be the key to staying healthy, new research finds

Getting enough sleep may be the key to staying healthy. That’s the compelling message from a new global analysis indicating that sleep may matter even more than exercise for day‑to‑day wellbeing. Drawing on data from wearable devices, researchers found that while many people manage either decent rest or regular movement, far fewer hit both benchmarks consistently. Only around one in eight did. The study, published in Communications Medicine, suggests a simple pivot: if time is tight, start with sleep. Build energy first, then move more. It’s a pragmatic reframing for busy lives. And it’s grounded in evidence tracked across years, not a single snapshot.

Sleep May Trump Exercise for Health

Around the world, the widely promoted targets are familiar: seven to nine hours of nightly sleep and roughly 8,000 steps a day. Yet the study’s authors argue these goals are often chased in isolation, and everyday routines make balancing both hard. Lead author Josh Fitton of Flinders University is blunt: “Only a tiny fraction of people can achieve both recommended sleep and activity levels every day.” His point is not defeatist. It’s strategic. When people inevitably must prioritise, the data suggest that sleep comes first.

That ordering matters. Better rest appears to unlock motivation, mood, and the physical capacity to move more the next day. Senior author Danny Eckert puts it simply: “Prioritising sleep could be the most effective way to boost your energy, motivation, and capacity for movement.” The implication is powerful for public health messaging. Instead of pushing steps alone, promote sleep as the foundation. Then stack activity on top. It’s an approach designed for real life, not for ideal conditions that few can maintain every day.

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What the Global Tracker Data Reveals

The research analysed aggregate sleep and activity tracker data from more than 70,000 participants over 3.5 years. That scale offers a rare lens on daily behaviour, not just self‑reported habits. The topline result is striking: only about 13 per cent routinely achieved both sleep and activity targets. At the other end, nearly 17 per cent averaged fewer than seven hours’ sleep and under 5,000 steps a day. The study categorised them as “sedentary,” a pattern linked to heightened risks of chronic disease, weight gain, and mental health challenges. It’s a common pattern, not a moral failing. It is also changeable.

There are caveats. Personal trackers skew toward higher‑income users and regions, which the authors acknowledge as a limitation. Still, the day‑to‑day patterning is robust: sleep and movement ebb and flow together. Below is a snapshot of the key findings.

How to Prioritise Sleep Without Ditching Movement

The study highlights a useful lever: sleeping roughly six to seven hours was associated with the highest next‑day step counts. That doesn’t replace the long‑term recommendation of seven to nine hours, but it shows how sleep quality and timing can boost momentum. If you are pressed for time, the researchers suggest choosing rest first. Then plan your activity when energy peaks. Small shifts compound. Trim late‑night scrolling. Guard a consistent bedtime. Create a calm, cool, dark room. Those simple steps, the authors note, can drive meaningful gains.

Crucially, this isn’t a zero‑sum game. Building movement into routines reduces pressure to carve out big blocks. Walk while calling a friend. Take the stairs one floor. Add a short, brisk loop after lunch. But anchor the change in sleep. As Eckert emphasises, rest fuels the motivation and capacity for movement. For many, that’s the unlock. Start by stabilising nights. Then the steps become easier, the rhythm more sustainable, and the health benefits more attainable for those who rarely hit every target at once.

Public health advice can feel overwhelming: sleep more, move more, do it daily. This study reframes the task. Build a solid base with sleep, then layer in activity. It’s kinder to busy schedules and truer to human behaviour. The numbers are sobering—only one in eight hit both goals—but they point to an achievable sequence. Begin where gains ripple outward. Prioritise rest, protect it, and let energy drive movement. If you tried one change this week, which sleep habit would you adjust first to make tomorrow’s steps feel easier?

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