Older Adults With 7-Day Routine Stability Report Less Pain, Lower BMI and Fewer Depressive Symptoms
Updated
Updated · studyfinds.com · Aug 7
Older Adults With 7-Day Routine Stability Report Less Pain, Lower BMI and Fewer Depressive Symptoms
2 articles · Updated · studyfinds.com · Aug 7
Summary
In a 67-person study, older adults with steadier daily schedules reported less pain, lower body mass index and fewer depressive symptoms, whether or not they had chronic insomnia.
Seven days of diary tracking showed adults with insomnia kept routines about as regular as good sleepers, challenging the idea that poor sleep necessarily disrupts daily structure.
Researchers measured timing of waking, first social contact, daily tasks, dinner and bedtime, scoring higher when activities stayed close to each person's usual schedule.
The study linked routine regularity to health but did not prove cause and effect, because it was cross-sectional, small and based at a single site in the Pittsburgh area.
Why do some insomniacs experience significantly less physical pain and depression just by maintaining a strict daily routine despite getting terrible sleep?
If poor sleep isn't the main culprit, could a scattered daily schedule be the true hidden cause of chronic pain in older adults?
Could simply eating dinner at the exact same time every day be the secret to slowing down your biological aging process?