Most people know that getting enough sleep and staying physically active are two of the most important things we can do for our health.
Sleep gives our body time to recover, while movement keeps our heart, muscles and mind strong. But even though both habits are essential, new research shows that people around the world struggle to achieve them at the same time.
The surprising news from this study is that sleep may actually be the key to helping people move more during the day.
Researchers from Flinders University looked at more than 28 million days of real health data from over 70,000 people living in different parts of the world. The study lasted three and a half years and used information from wearable devices that tracked how long people slept each night and how many steps they took each day.
The results showed that fewer than 13% of people regularly reached the recommended levels of sleep and daily activity. Health experts usually advise adults to sleep seven to nine hours per night and walk at least 8,000 steps a day. But most people fell short of these goals.
Even more concerning, nearly 17% of people in the study slept less than seven hours per night and walked fewer than 5,000 steps a day.
This combination is linked to higher risks of chronic health problems, weight gain, emotional stress and even long-term illnesses. These numbers show how difficult it is for people to balance work, family, stress, and health, especially in today’s busy world.
One of the most interesting findings from the study was that sleep had a stronger effect on physical activity than activity had on sleep. In simple terms, people who slept well were much more likely to be active the next day.
But people who took more steps during the day did not sleep better that night. According to lead researcher Josh Fitton, good sleep—especially sleep that feels restful and uninterrupted—helps people wake up with more energy, motivation and willingness to move.
The researchers also found that the people who took the most steps the next day were not always the ones who slept the longest. Instead, those who slept around six to seven hours tended to be the most active.
However, this does not mean shorter sleep is better. The study highlights that sleep quality matters just as much as sleep duration. People who slept efficiently, meaning they spent most of their time in bed actually sleeping rather than tossing and turning, consistently walked more the following day.
These findings raise important questions about whether current health recommendations are realistic for the average person. Getting enough sleep and being physically active every single day is much harder than it sounds.
The study suggests that people may need more support and more flexible guidelines to help them build healthier routines. It also suggests that instead of trying to tackle sleep and exercise at the same time, people might benefit more from focusing on sleep first.
Senior researcher Professor Danny Eckert explains that for adults trying to balance work, children, stress and daily responsibilities, making sleep a priority could be one of the most powerful steps toward a healthier lifestyle.
When you sleep better, you naturally have more energy and a greater capacity to move your body during the day. Even small changes can help, such as spending less time on screens before bed, keeping a consistent bedtime, and creating a quiet and relaxing sleep environment.
This study shows that sleep is not just a quiet, passive part of our day. It actively shapes how we feel, think and behave. Good sleep plays a major role in whether we have the strength and motivation to stay active and look after our health.
By understanding this connection, people may find it easier to build routines that truly support long-term wellbeing.
In review, the study makes it clear that sleep and movement are closely connected, but sleep plays a bigger role in shaping daily habits. The fact that so few people meet both sleep and activity guidelines shows that current recommendations may be too difficult for many people to follow consistently.
The finding that sleep quality and sleep efficiency predict next-day activity better than the number of steps predicts sleep is a key piece of evidence. It suggests that improving sleep may be a more realistic starting point for most people.
The discovery that six to seven hours of sleep led to the highest activity levels is interesting, but the researchers also stress that better sleep quality remains essential. Overall, the study highlights that focusing on sleep first could lead to healthier, more active lives.
If you care about sleep health, please read studies about foods that help people sleep better, and Keto diet could improve cognitive function in people with sleep loss.
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The study is published in Communications Medicine.
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