Based on the findings, it appears that adults who have a “robust/early wake pattern,” that is, waking up before 7 a.m. and staying active during the day, performed better on their cognitive assessments and had better mental health than participants whose daily schedules less “robust”.
The participants who were going to bed and waking up later, and being less active during the day, had the highest rates of cognitive decline and were also the most likely to have significant depressive symptoms.
The researchers note that these findings are correlative and not necessarily a sign of causality. As the study’s lead author, Stephen Smagula, points out, the relationship between sleep, activity levels, and mental health could go both ways. (For example, poorer mental health and/or cognition can influence your sleep and activity, and vice versa.)
But whichever way you look at it, it’s clear that staying active is associated with better physical and mental health outcomes, so this is just one more reason to get moving. And as the study authors explain, “activity” doesn’t necessarily mean physical activity: It could be meeting a friend for coffee, doing a mentally stimulating puzzle, or going to a place of worship.
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