Some days, it’s simply impossible to make the run happen. Maybe your alarm felt too early, your legs felt off, your jam-packed life schedule interfered or you simply couldn’t summon the will to lace up. You chalk it up to being busy or tired, or both, but there might be a quieter reason you’re skipping more runs than you’d like.
Early bedtimes reap rewards
New research suggests that not just how long you stay asleep, but also when you go to sleep, could be shaping your training habits. For runners trying to stay consistent, that small detail might matter more than we’ve been led to believe. A recent study published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS) tracked nearly 20,000 people over a full year using WHOOP fitness monitors and discovered that late bedtimes are directly linked to reduced physical activity the next day, regardless of how many hours you sleep.
It’s not just how long, but when
Most runners know that quality sleep is essential for recovery and performance, but a new study found that the timing of sleep might be just as important. Participants who went to bed around 9 p.m. got about 30 more minutes of moderate-to-vigorous activity the following day than those who stayed up until one a.m. Even compared to the average bedtime of 11 p.m., early sleepers clocked 15 extra minutes of workout time. A few missed miles or skipped strength sessions here and there can add up over time and become significant gaps in fitness, especially if you’re building toward a race or trying to maintain consistency.
Night owls are running uphill
One of the reasons later bedtimes can hurt next-day activity is social, as well as biological. The traditional 9-to-5 schedule rewards early risers, and late sleepers face what researchers call “social jetlag,” where natural rhythms are out of sync with daily demands. They may feel daytime sluggishness, struggle with missed windows for exercise and have less motivation overall. Unfortunately, catching up with a nap or sleeping in doesn’t erase the impact. Those in the study who slept the same number of hours but went to bed later still exercised less the next day.
What runners can do
If you’re a habitual night owl, the fix isn’t to overhaul your schedule overnight. Researchers suggest a gradual shift: move your bedtime earlier by 15 minutes at a time. Aim for a window between 9 and 11 p.m., which appears to strike the best balance for sleep quality and daytime energy. This doesn’t mean you have to abandon your identity if you’re not a morning person; it does mean that improving your running might start with getting to bed just a little earlier.
