Esther Williams, 71, sets an alarm for 6:15 every morning — even on weekends. She eats breakfast at the same time, takes her walk at the same time, and heads to bed at the same time. "It sounds boring," she told a reporter once, "but I sleep better than I did in my 40s." Now, science is catching up to what people like Williams have figured out on their own.
Researchers at the University of Missouri in Columbia have found that older adults who keep consistent daily schedules report less physical pain and fewer symptoms of depression — even when they struggle with insomnia. The study, published in the Journal of Behavioral Medicine, offers a simple message: going to bed and waking up at the same time each day may help the body run more smoothly.
"About half of adults age 60 and older experience symptoms of insomnia," according to the National Council on Aging. To understand how sleep difficulties connect to overall health, Eunjin Tracy, an assistant professor at the University of Missouri's College of Education and Human Development, analyzed survey responses from 67 older adults. Thirty-seven of those participants had insomnia.
As expected, adults with insomnia reported more pain and stronger symptoms of depression. But Tracy spotted a striking pattern: participants who maintained regular daily routines — waking, eating, working, socializing, and sleeping at similar times — experienced less pain and depression, no matter how poorly they slept.
"Regardless of sleep quality, those who reported having a regular daily routine had lower levels of physical pain and less depression compared to those without a daily routine," Tracy said.
The reason may lie in the body's internal clock, called the circadian rhythm. This 24-hour timing system controls sleep, mood, and many other body processes. Regular daily activities — a morning coffee at the same hour, a phone call with a friend at a set time — send signals that keep this clock running on schedule. When those cues shift, the clock can fall out of sync.
"When we regulate our circadian rhythm well, our bodies function well, but if it gets too distracted, our bodies don't function as well," Tracy explained.
This disconnect has a name: social jet lag. It happens when people wake up and go to bed at very different times on weekends compared to weekdays. Even small shifts — sleeping in an hour later on Saturday, say — can throw off the system.
Tracy suggests that keeping a steady routine throughout the entire week may reduce those disruptions. She also argues that health research should look at the full 24-hour day, not just nighttime sleep.
"Since one-third of our lives will be spent sleeping, I think health and well-being research should be looked at holistically from a 24-hour perspective and not just focus on when we are awake," she said.
For older adults dealing with insomnia or chronic pain, the findings offer a small but meaningful hope: you may not need a fancy supplement or expensive treatment. A consistent schedule — one that begins with waking at the same time each morning and ends with lights-out at the same hour — might be one of the simplest tools for feeling better.