Is It Better For Your Health To Wake Up Early Or Late?

Experts have been debating whether it’s better to wake up with the sun or to sleep later into the morning. And we’ve got the latest research for you—we think most of you will like what you read!

Try to sleep in a little longer over the holidays
© Getty Images
Try to sleep in a little longer over the holidays

You know the saying—the early bird gets the worm. For so long, researchers informed readers that it’s better for your health to wake up earlier rather than later. But the latest research disagrees!

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The early bird is more stressed

The latest research discovered that people who tend to wake up between 5:30 am to 7:30 am experienced heightened levels of the stress hormone cortisol. You may think that waking up early gives you a chance to be productive, resulting in experiencing less stress, but maybe the combination of sleeping past 7:30 and starting your day by working on certain tasks will really help to lower your stress. You never know!

Unfortunately, some people have to wake up early for work or class—they don’t really have a choice! But if you have the choice, you might as well sleep for longer, right?

Don't worry if you naturally wake up early

But morning people do exist, too! Some people naturally wake up early and experience more productivity while the sun rises, but this study highlights that it’s okay to sleep in. Don’t beat yourself up for accidentally sleeping too long every so often.

What else did the study find about the benefits of waking up a little later than usual? Tune into our video for more reasons why it’s okay to let your body sleep in!

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