Getting enough sleep helps protect against a long list of health issues. Falling asleep quickly is the goal for some, staying asleep is the dream for others, and it is normal for sleep patterns to shift with age. But as people get older, is it actually better to wake up early or sleep in?
Sleep medicine specialists say a regular sleep schedule matters more than the exact time on the clock. “I try to encourage older individuals who are retired to create some sort of consistent wake-up time,” says sleep medicine specialist and neurologist Dr Christopher Winter.
So, if the decision about when to get up is completely in your hands, is it better for your health to rise early or get more rest? Here is what sleep experts suggest.
Is it better to sleep longer or wake up early?
This question can be “tricky” to answer, says behavioural sleep medicine specialist Jade Wu. “Sometimes waking up early means someone is not getting enough opportunity to sleep, and sometimes it doesn’t,” she explains. “Whether this is a good thing also depends on whether you usually get up early or late.”
Dr Winter agrees that context matters. “I don’t really care if you get up later, but I want you to have a wake-up time and decide that is the wake-up time, no matter what happens overnight,” he says. “I just want it to be consistent and in line with what your body naturally wants to do, which is to sleep for seven to nine hours.”
Some people naturally prefer to stay up later at night, which pushes their ideal wake time later, Dr Winter notes. Others like to be in bed earlier, and their wake time should sit earlier to match. The key is choosing a realistic window that allows for seven to nine hours of sleep and sticking to it as consistently as possible.
How to figure out what your body needs
To work out whether an earlier or later wake time suits you best, Wu recommends keeping a few points in mind:
- Make sure there is enough time for sleep. Adults generally need at least seven hours a night.
- Keep wake time steady. “It’s better to wake up at about the same time every day than to sometimes wake up early and sometimes late,” she says. A consistent wake-up time helps anchor the circadian rhythm, which sets the timing for many processes in the body.
- Line up wake time with chronotype, which is the body’s natural preference for sleep and wake times. “If you’re naturally a morning person, get up early,” Wu says. “If you’re naturally more of a night owl, let yourself sleep.”
Do I need more or less sleep with age?
Most people need less sleep as they get older, and that shift starts in childhood. “Babies need much more sleep than toddlers, who need more sleep than other children,” Dr Winter says. “The underlying reason is that we tend to lose slow-wave sleep or deep sleep as we get older.”
There is still plenty of individual variation. “It also depends on physical activity levels, stress levels and hormonal status,” Wu says. Someone who exercises regularly and feels relatively calm day to day may need more sleep than a frazzled counterpart who moves less. “Each person’s trajectory of sleep needs can be unique,” Wu says.
Why do I wake up earlier as I get older?
Every person is different, but chronotype plays a big role. “Our chronotypes—the tendency for our circadian clock to run early, late, or somewhere in between—tend to shift earlier as we age,” Wu says.
While it is well known that many people naturally start waking up earlier over time, Dr Winter notes that the exact reason is still unclear.
When to see a doctor about sleep
Dr Winter recommends seeing a doctor about sleep any time it feels worrying or disruptive. A few red flags to watch for include:
- Feeling like you need far more sleep now than you did when you were younger
- Very fragmented or broken sleep
- Excessive sleepiness during the day
- A partner noticing frequent or loud snoring
Frequent nightmares are also a reason to check in with a healthcare provider, Wu adds.
As for whether to wake up earlier or later, Dr Winter says the most important factor is consistency. Choosing a regular wake-up time that matches natural sleep needs and sticking with it day to day is what supports healthier sleep in the long run.
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