发表于 2025年9月26日
When most of us work on getting better sleep, we usually focus on duration: the seven to nine hours of recommended nightly rest. But sleep scientists and a growing body of evidence suggest that keeping a consistent sleep schedule may matter even more than how long you sleep.
From large-scale population studies to carefully designed clinical trials, researchers are finding that going to bed and waking up at the same time every day can sharpen cognition and boost mental health, support metabolic health and immune function, strengthen your heart, and lower dementia risk.
“Maintaining a consistent sleep-wake schedule may serve as one of the simplest, most overlooked ways to protect long-term health,” says Wendy Troxel, a senior behavioral sleep scientist at the RAND Corporation.
Consistency may even extend your life. “Sleep regularity is a stronger predictor of all-cause mortality compared to sleep duration,” says Shadab Rahman, a neuroscientist at Brigham and Women’s Hospital and an assistant professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School. That’s encouraging, he adds, because unlike many other health factors, sleep consistency “is largely within our control.”
Here’s what to know about the benefits of keeping a consistent sleep schedule—plus science-backed tips to help you commit to one.
**WHY CONSISTENCY MATTERS**
Keeping a steady sleep schedule matters because your body runs on an internal clock—called circadian rhythm—that governs when you feel sleepy or alert. It also regulates critical “reset” processes that take place during sleep, explains Janis Anderson, a sleep medicine researcher and psychologist at the University of New Mexico.
Going to bed and waking up at the same time each day keeps this clock in sync, ensuring the steady release of hormones like melatonin to help you fall asleep at night and cortisol to help you wake the next morning.
A steady rhythm also supports memory storage, cell reparation, and brain-cleansing processes. “The more consistent a person’s sleep/wake schedule is, the better the body's various processes can coordinate and be optimized,” Anderson says.
**CARDIOVASCULAR AND METABOLIC AND LONGEVITY BENEFITS**
That consistency also has proven consequences for metabolism and heart health. “Maintaining a consistent sleep schedule is the foundation on which everything else rests,” says Steve Amira, a physician and sleep researcher at Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Massachusetts.
Irregular sleep has been shown to disrupt blood pressure regulation, increase systemic inflammation, and interfere with glucose metabolism—in part because circadian rhythms help orchestrate these processes.
For instance, when sleep timing is inconsistent, the body may release stress hormones like cortisol at the wrong times, thereby straining blood vessels and impairing glucose regulation. Over time, this can contribute to hypertension, insulin resistance, and even chronic inflammation.
These adverse effects show up in large-scale analyses. A five-year Harvard review of more than 40,000 studies, for instance, found that stable bedtimes were associated with increased alertness, stronger heart health, reduced inflammation, “and better outcomes across nearly every dimension of health,” says Charles Czeisler, an author of the study and the division of sleep medicine director at Harvard Medical School.
Such findings help explain a 2024 U.K. Biobank study of more than 88,000 people, which found that sleep regularity predicted mortality risk better than total sleep time.
Troxel adds that inconsistent sleep also “creates circadian misalignment”—disrupting hormones, immunity, and even daily behaviors like eating and exercise. Such factors are among the reasons the World Health Organization classifies chronic circadian disruption—such as what night-shift workers experience—as a probable carcinogen.
In short, “those who keep regular sleep schedules live longer than those who don’t,” says Meir Kryger, professor emeritus of medicine at Yale and author of The Mystery of Sleep.
**BRAIN HEALTH AND DEMENTIA RISK**
The brain, too, thrives on consistency as irregular sleep has been tied to cognitive decline and higher dementia risk. Yue Cao and colleagues at the University of Tsukuba in Japan came to this conclusion in a 2025 study that tracked 458 older adults using wearable devices.
The team found that those with more consistent sleep schedules showed stronger thinking skills and higher levels of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF)—a protein vital for memory retention and brain plasticity. Disrupted rhythms, by contrast, have been linked to accumulation of amyloid-beta—a toxic protein implicated in Alzheimer’s disease. Interestingly, the Tsukuba research also showed that while sharper thinking skills rose steadily with more consistent sleep, BDNF levels didn’t climb in a straight line. Cao says this suggests that you don't need to be overly rigid with your sleep schedule and that it's okay if you occasionally miss a night or two.
The research, “adds important evidence that sleep regularity influences brain health,” says Rahman, who was not involved in the study.
**PRACTICAL STRATEGIES FOR BETTER SLEEP**
While everyone wants the benefits associated with a consistent sleep schedule, perfect regularity is rarely realistic. After all, plenty of factors can sabotage steady sleep habits, including demanding jobs, caffeine and alcohol use, late-night gaming, stress, medical conditions, social media distractions, and even taking daytime naps.
Amira explains that three conditions must align for steady sleep: you need to be in sync with the natural 24-hour day/night cycle, you need to have built about 16 hours of wakefulness to generate enough “sleep pressure,” and you need the ability to relax at bedtime. “A breakdown in any of these can undermine even the best intentions,” he says.
Small, steady habits can help, says Andrea Goldstein-Piekarski, a behavioral sleep scientist at Stanford School of Medicine. Some of these habits include:
Manage light exposure. Czeisler notes that the most critical factor for improving sleep consistency "is regularity in terms of exposure to light." This means increasing your exposure to light—ideally outdoor light—throughout the day and decreasing it after sunset, especially blue light from screens. It also means "no devices in bed," advises Kryger.
Use an alarm clock. Waking at the same time—even after a late night—helps anchor the circadian clock, says Paul Gringras, a professor and clinical lead of sleep medicine at King’s College London.
Create a sleep sanctuary. A dark, quiet, cool room encourages deeper rest. “The optimal sleep temperature is roughly 63° to 82°F,” notes Gringras. Comfortable bedding and light sleepwear also matter.
Limit stimulants and alcohol. "While people often use caffeine during the day to help boost wakefulness, consuming caffeine in the afternoon may make it harder to fall asleep at night and can negatively impact sleep quality," says Goldstein-Piekarski. "Even consuming caffeine six hours before bedtime can disrupt sleep.
And stimulation isn’t only chemical. Mental arousal from late-night arguments, work problems, or consuming upsetting news can also keep the brain alert and make it harder to fall asleep. "Avoid any activity that might cause your brain to be excessively aroused before going to bed," Kryger suggests.
Establish a bedtime routine. A calming ritual—like reading, a warm bath, or changing into sleepwear—signals to the body that it’s time to wind down and reinforces the brain’s association with the pending rest, Rahman says.
Avoid over-correction. While it's tempting to compensate for a late night by sleeping in, Troxel advises sticking as close to your usual wake-up time as possible instead to avoid confusing your circadian system.
While these approaches work for many, “there isn’t a one-size-fits-all solution,” Goldstein-Piekarski notes. Instead, she says habits should be tailored to your individual needs.
Whichever strategies you choose, any efforts put into consistency are sure to pay off. “In our 24/7 society, it’s not easy to set aside enough time for sleep or keep a regular schedule,” says Czeisler. “But when we make sleep a priority, the short- and long-term benefits for health, performance, and safety are striking.”
When most of us work on getting better sleep, we usually focus on duration: the seven to nine hours of recommended nightly rest. But sleep scientists and a growing body of evidence suggest that keeping a consistent sleep schedule may matter even more than how long you sleep.
当我们大多数人想要改善睡眠时，通常关注的是“时长”——也就是每晚建议的7到9小时。但睡眠科学家和越来越多的证据指出，比起睡多久，保持固定的就寝和起床时间（即规律的睡眠作息）可能更重要。
From large-scale population studies to carefully designed clinical trials, researchers are finding that going to bed and waking up at the same time every day can sharpen cognition and boost mental health, support metabolic health and immune function, strengthen your heart, and lower dementia risk.
从大规模人群研究到精心设计的临床试验，研究者发现：每天在同一时间上床和起床，不仅能提升认知表现、促进心理健康，还能支持代谢健康与免疫功能、增强心脏功能，并降低痴呆（dementia）风险。
“Maintaining a consistent sleep-wake schedule may serve as one of the simplest, most overlooked ways to protect long-term health,” says Wendy Troxel, a senior behavioral sleep scientist at the RAND Corporation.
“保持规律一致的作息时间（sleep-wake schedule）可能是保护长期健康最简单却最常被忽视的方法之一，”兰德公司（RAND Corporation）的高级行为睡眠科学家Wendy Troxel说。
Consistency may even extend your life. “Sleep regularity is a stronger predictor of all-cause mortality compared to sleep duration,” says Shadab Rahman, a neuroscientist at Brigham and Women’s Hospital and an assistant professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School. That’s encouraging, he adds, because unlike many other health factors, sleep consistency “is largely within our control.”
睡眠的规律性甚至可能让你活得更久。“与睡眠时长相比，睡眠的规律性对‘全因死亡率’（指各种原因导致的总体死亡风险）的预测力更强，”布里格姆妇女医院（Brigham and Women’s Hospital）的神经科学家、哈佛医学院（Harvard Medical School）医学助理教授Shadab Rahman说。他补充道：“这点令人振奋，因为与许多其他健康因素不同，睡眠的一致性（规律性）在很大程度上掌握在我们自己手中。”
Here’s what to know about the benefits of keeping a consistent sleep schedule—plus science-backed tips to help you commit to one.
以下是你需要了解的，关于保持规律睡眠作息的好处——外加一些有科学依据的建议，帮助你坚持这种作息。
**WHY CONSISTENCY MATTERS**
为什么一致性很重要
Keeping a steady sleep schedule matters because your body runs on an internal clock—called circadian rhythm—that governs when you feel sleepy or alert. It also regulates critical “reset” processes that take place during sleep, explains Janis Anderson, a sleep medicine researcher and psychologist at the University of New Mexico.
保持稳定的睡眠作息之所以重要，是因为你的身体依赖一个内部时钟——称为“昼夜节律”（circadian rhythm）——来决定你何时感到困倦或清醒。它还会调控在睡眠中发生的关键“重置”过程，新墨西哥大学的睡眠医学研究者兼心理学家Janis Anderson解释说。
Going to bed and waking up at the same time each day keeps this clock in sync, ensuring the steady release of hormones like melatonin to help you fall asleep at night and cortisol to help you wake the next morning.
每天在相同时间入睡和起床能让这套生物钟保持同步，确保激素稳定释放：夜间分泌褪黑素（melatonin）帮助你入睡，清晨分泌皮质醇（cortisol）帮助你醒来。
A steady rhythm also supports memory storage, cell reparation, and brain-cleansing processes. “The more consistent a person’s sleep/wake schedule is, the better the body's various processes can coordinate and be optimized,” Anderson says.
稳定的作息节律还能支持记忆储存、细胞修复以及大脑的“清洗”过程（如清除代谢废物）。Anderson 说：“一个人的睡醒作息越一致，身体内各项机能就越能协同运作并得到优化。”
**CARDIOVASCULAR AND METABOLIC AND LONGEVITY BENEFITS**
心血管、代谢与长寿方面的益处
That consistency also has proven consequences for metabolism and heart health. “Maintaining a consistent sleep schedule is the foundation on which everything else rests,” says Steve Amira, a physician and sleep researcher at Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Massachusetts.
这种一致性对新陈代谢和心脏健康也有确凿的影响。“保持一致的睡眠时间表是其他一切都建立其上的基础，”马萨诸塞州布莱根和妇女医院（Brigham and Women’s Hospital）的内科医生兼睡眠研究者Steve Amira说。
Irregular sleep has been shown to disrupt blood pressure regulation, increase systemic inflammation, and interfere with glucose metabolism—in part because circadian rhythms help orchestrate these processes.
研究表明，不规律的睡眠会扰乱血压调节、增加全身性炎症，并干扰葡萄糖代谢——部分原因在于昼夜节律本就负责协调这些过程。
For instance, when sleep timing is inconsistent, the body may release stress hormones like cortisol at the wrong times, thereby straining blood vessels and impairing glucose regulation. Over time, this can contribute to hypertension, insulin resistance, and even chronic inflammation.
例如，当入睡和起床时间不规律时，身体可能在不合适的时段分泌像皮质醇（应激激素）这样的激素，从而增加血管负担并干扰血糖调节。久而久之，这会促使高血压、胰岛素抵抗，甚至慢性炎症的发生。
These adverse effects show up in large-scale analyses. A five-year Harvard review of more than 40,000 studies, for instance, found that stable bedtimes were associated with increased alertness, stronger heart health, reduced inflammation, “and better outcomes across nearly every dimension of health,” says Charles Czeisler, an author of the study and the division of sleep medicine director at Harvard Medical School.
这些不良影响在大规模分析中清晰可见。举例来说，一项为期五年的哈佛综述性研究审阅了超过40,000项研究，发现固定的就寝时间与更高的警觉性、更强的心脏健康、更低的炎症水平“以及几乎所有健康维度上更好的结局”相关。该研究作者之一、哈佛医学院睡眠医学部门主任Charles Czeisler表示。
Such findings help explain a 2024 U.K. Biobank study of more than 88,000 people, which found that sleep regularity predicted mortality risk better than total sleep time.
这些发现有助于解释一项2024年英国生物样本库（U.K. Biobank）对超过88,000名人群开展的研究：研究发现，与总睡眠时长相比，睡眠规律性对死亡风险的预测能力更强。
Troxel adds that inconsistent sleep also “creates circadian misalignment”—disrupting hormones, immunity, and even daily behaviors like eating and exercise. Such factors are among the reasons the World Health Organization classifies chronic circadian disruption—such as what night-shift workers experience—as a probable carcinogen.
Troxel补充说，不规律的睡眠还会“造成昼夜节律失配”，从而扰乱激素分泌、免疫功能，甚至影响进食和锻炼等日常行为。正因如此，世界卫生组织（World Health Organization, WHO）将慢性昼夜节律紊乱——例如夜班工作者常见的情况——列为“可能致癌物”（probable carcinogen）。
In short, “those who keep regular sleep schedules live longer than those who don’t,” says Meir Kryger, professor emeritus of medicine at Yale and author of The Mystery of Sleep.
总之，“遵守规律作息的人比不规律作息的人活得更久，”耶鲁大学医学名誉教授、《The Mystery of Sleep（睡眠之谜）》作者Meir Kryger说。
**BRAIN HEALTH AND DEMENTIA RISK**
大脑健康与痴呆风险
The brain, too, thrives on consistency as irregular sleep has been tied to cognitive decline and higher dementia risk. Yue Cao and colleagues at the University of Tsukuba in Japan came to this conclusion in a 2025 study that tracked 458 older adults using wearable devices.
大脑同样受益于规律性；不规律的睡眠与认知能力下降和更高的痴呆风险相关。日本筑波大学的Yue Cao及其同事在一项于2025年开展的研究中得出这一结论，该研究使用可穿戴设备追踪了458名老年人。
The team found that those with more consistent sleep schedules showed stronger thinking skills and higher levels of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF)—a protein vital for memory retention and brain plasticity. Disrupted rhythms, by contrast, have been linked to accumulation of amyloid-beta—a toxic protein implicated in Alzheimer’s disease. Interestingly, the Tsukuba research also showed that while sharper thinking skills rose steadily with more consistent sleep, BDNF levels didn’t climb in a straight line. Cao says this suggests that you don't need to be overly rigid with your sleep schedule and that it's okay if you occasionally miss a night or two.
研究团队发现，睡眠作息越稳定的人，思维能力越强，且脑源性神经营养因子（BDNF，brain-derived neurotrophic factor）水平更高——这是一种对记忆巩固和大脑可塑性至关重要的蛋白质。相反，节律被打乱与β-淀粉样蛋白的堆积有关——这是一种与阿尔茨海默病相关的有毒蛋白。 有意思的是，筑波大学的研究还显示，随着睡眠越发规律，思维敏锐度会持续提升，但BDNF水平并不是“直线上升”。Cao表示，这说明你的睡眠时间表不必过于死板，偶尔有一两晚没能按点入睡也是可以的。
The research, “adds important evidence that sleep regularity influences brain health,” says Rahman, who was not involved in the study.
Rahman（未参与该研究）表示，该研究“为睡眠规律性影响大脑健康提供了重要证据”。
**PRACTICAL STRATEGIES FOR BETTER SLEEP**
改善睡眠的实用策略
While everyone wants the benefits associated with a consistent sleep schedule, perfect regularity is rarely realistic. After all, plenty of factors can sabotage steady sleep habits, including demanding jobs, caffeine and alcohol use, late-night gaming, stress, medical conditions, social media distractions, and even taking daytime naps.
尽管每个人都希望从规律的睡眠作息中获益，但要做到完全规律几乎不现实。毕竟，许多因素都会破坏稳定的睡眠习惯，包括高强度的工作、咖啡因和酒精的摄入、深夜打游戏、压力、疾病等健康问题、社交媒体的干扰，甚至白天小睡。
Amira explains that three conditions must align for steady sleep: you need to be in sync with the natural 24-hour day/night cycle, you need to have built about 16 hours of wakefulness to generate enough “sleep pressure,” and you need the ability to relax at bedtime. “A breakdown in any of these can undermine even the best intentions,” he says.
阿米拉（Amira）解释说，要想保持稳定的睡眠，需要同时满足三个条件：其一，你需要与自然的24小时昼夜循环保持同步；其二，你需要累积大约16小时的清醒时间，以产生足够的“睡眠压力”；其三，你需要在就寝时具备放松的能力。他说：“这三者中任何一个环节出现问题，都会让你再好的打算也难以实现。”
Small, steady habits can help, says Andrea Goldstein-Piekarski, a behavioral sleep scientist at Stanford School of Medicine. Some of these habits include:
斯坦福医学院的行为睡眠科学家Andrea Goldstein-Piekarski表示，小而稳定的习惯会有帮助。以下是其中一些：
Manage light exposure. Czeisler notes that the most critical factor for improving sleep consistency "is regularity in terms of exposure to light." This means increasing your exposure to light—ideally outdoor light—throughout the day and decreasing it after sunset, especially blue light from screens. It also means "no devices in bed," advises Kryger.
管理光照暴露。Czeisler 指出，提高睡眠一致性最关键的因素是“光照暴露的规律性”。这意味着白天应增加光照（最好是户外自然光），日落后减少光照，尤其要减少来自屏幕的蓝光。此外，Kryger 建议，“床上不要使用电子设备”。
Use an alarm clock. Waking at the same time—even after a late night—helps anchor the circadian clock, says Paul Gringras, a professor and clinical lead of sleep medicine at King’s College London.
使用闹钟。即使前一晚睡得很晚，仍然在同一时间起床，有助于稳固昼夜节律（生物钟），伦敦国王学院（King’s College London）睡眠医学教授兼临床负责人Paul Gringras说。
Create a sleep sanctuary. A dark, quiet, cool room encourages deeper rest. “The optimal sleep temperature is roughly 63° to 82°F,” notes Gringras. Comfortable bedding and light sleepwear also matter.
打造睡眠避风港。一个黑暗、安静、凉爽的房间有助于更深度的休息。Gringras指出，“理想的睡眠温度大约为63°至82°F（约17°至28°C）。”舒适的寝具和轻薄的睡衣也同样重要。
Limit stimulants and alcohol. "While people often use caffeine during the day to help boost wakefulness, consuming caffeine in the afternoon may make it harder to fall asleep at night and can negatively impact sleep quality," says Goldstein-Piekarski. "Even consuming caffeine six hours before bedtime can disrupt sleep.
限制兴奋剂和酒精的摄入。Goldstein-Piekarski 说：“虽然很多人白天会用咖啡因来提神，但在下午摄入咖啡因可能会让你晚上更难入睡，并且会降低睡眠质量。” “即使在就寝前六小时摄入咖啡因，也可能干扰睡眠。”
And stimulation isn’t only chemical. Mental arousal from late-night arguments, work problems, or consuming upsetting news can also keep the brain alert and make it harder to fall asleep. "Avoid any activity that might cause your brain to be excessively aroused before going to bed," Kryger suggests.
而且“刺激”并不只是化学层面的。深夜争吵、工作上的烦心事，或刷到令人不安的新闻引发的心理唤醒，同样会让大脑保持警觉，增加入睡难度。Kryger 建议：“睡前避免一切可能让大脑过度兴奋的活动。”
Establish a bedtime routine. A calming ritual—like reading, a warm bath, or changing into sleepwear—signals to the body that it’s time to wind down and reinforces the brain’s association with the pending rest, Rahman says.
建立固定的睡前流程。Rahman表示，一些让人平静的仪式——比如阅读、洗个热水澡或换上睡衣——会向身体发出“该放松准备入睡”的信号，并强化大脑对即将到来的休息的联结。
Avoid over-correction. While it's tempting to compensate for a late night by sleeping in, Troxel advises sticking as close to your usual wake-up time as possible instead to avoid confusing your circadian system.
避免矫枉过正。虽然熬夜后人们很想通过睡懒觉来补偿，但Troxel建议尽量按平时的起床时间起床，以免干扰你的昼夜节律（体内生物钟）。
While these approaches work for many, “there isn’t a one-size-fits-all solution,” Goldstein-Piekarski notes. Instead, she says habits should be tailored to your individual needs.
Goldstein-Piekarski指出，尽管这些方法对许多人有效，但“并不存在放之四海而皆准的解决方案”。她说，与其一刀切，不如根据你自己的具体需求来调整和定制这些习惯。
Whichever strategies you choose, any efforts put into consistency are sure to pay off. “In our 24/7 society, it’s not easy to set aside enough time for sleep or keep a regular schedule,” says Czeisler. “But when we make sleep a priority, the short- and long-term benefits for health, performance, and safety are striking.”
无论你选择哪种策略，只要为“规律性”付出努力，都会有所回报。Czeisler 说：“在我们这个全天候（24/7）的社会里，要为睡眠留出足够时间并保持规律作息并不容易。” “但当我们把睡眠放在优先位置时，无论短期还是长期，在健康、表现以及安全方面的收益都格外显著。”