Health
Going to bed after this time could lead to poorer mental health, a Stanford study finds
Night owls might want to start turning in earlier.
A recent study by Stanford University, published in the journal Psychiatry Research, found that going to bed after 1:00 a.m. could lead to mental health issues.
Researchers analyzed the data of more than 73,000 adults in the U.K., looking into their chronotype (inclination to rise early or stay up late) and actual sleep timing.
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The study then examined the alignment between the two and the prevalence of mental, behavioral and neurodevelopmental disorders (MBN), as well as depression and anxiety.
People with a morning preference who go to bed early exhibit “better mental health” compared to morning types who go to bed late, the study found.
Overall, early birds seemed to have better mental health, according to a Stanford University research. (iStock)
Morning types who tend to go to bed late have an increased risk of MBNs, depression and anxiety.
People with an evening preference who sleep late were also found to demonstrate poorer mental health. Evening types who wake up early, conversely, have a lower risk of developing depression.
Based on these findings, the researchers recommended going to sleep before 1:00 a.m., regardless of preference.
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Study co-author Jamie Zeitzer, Ph.D., a professor at Stanford University’s department of psychiatry and behavioral sciences in California, said he was surprised by the results.
“They were not what we expected at all,” he wrote in an email to Fox News Digital. “We spent more than a year trying to disprove our findings, but could not find an alternate explanation.”
“We had expected that night owls who stayed up late would be OK, but they ended up being at a greater risk for developing mental health disorders than night owls who went to bed earlier,” one researcher said. (iStock)
The researchers originally anticipated that individuals who aligned their actual sleep timing with their morning/evening preference would have the best mental health, Zeitzer noted – but this was not the case.
“Rather, we found that being awake late at night, irrespective of preferred sleep timing, was associated with worse mental health,” he said.
Good sleep is “crucial for establishing a pillar of good mental health,” according to Zeitzer.
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“It is not necessarily [the case] that bad sleep causes poor mental health, but it can definitely facilitate poorer mental health,” he said.
“There are several aspects of sleep that contribute [to mental health], including the duration (which we accounted for in our study) and the timing (which we directly examined in our study).”
Not getting enough sleep has been proven to compromise mental health, according to a sleep expert. (iStock)
While it might not be detrimental for all night owls to stick to their preferred nighttime sleep schedule, Zeitzer said, the research highlights that it presents a risk for some.
“We are not clear as to why this is the case, but it may have to do with the isolation that often accompanies such late-night behavior,” he said.
“So, being aware of how you are spending your late nights and whether these behaviors are conducive to good mental health is crucial.”
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Dr. Wendy Troxel, a Utah-based sleep expert who was not involved in the study, agreed that the findings are “very interesting” – particularly the fact that going to bed later is associated with poorer mental health regardless of one’s natural tendency.
“These findings underscore that sleep health is a multidimensional state,” Troxel said in an interview with Fox News Digital.
“It’s not just about getting enough sleep or good quality sleep that matters, but the timing matters, too.”
“Going to bed excessively late on a regular basis may lead to impairments in decision-making and emotion regulation.”
Failing to get enough sleep has been proven to compromise mental health by “influencing brain mechanisms that help to regulate emotions,” she added.
“Going to bed excessively late (i.e., after 1 a.m.) on a regular basis may lead to impairments in decision-making and emotion regulation, which may underlie associations with mental health problems, such as depression and anxiety,” she said.
The study results are also interesting when applied to specific groups who tend to be night owls, like teenagers, Troxel noted.
“Biologically, teenagers are predisposed to stay awake later and sleep in later, which is in conflict with early school start times,” she said.
“This can set them up for a ‘double whammy’ of both insufficient sleep and delayed sleep schedules, which can contribute to mental health problems — a major public health issue among teenagers.”
Dr. Wendy Troxel, senior behavioral scientist for RAND Corporation, is the author of “Sharing the Covers: Every Couple’s Guide to Better Sleep” and is also a scientific advisor for the Sleep Foundation. (Diane Baldwin)
3 critical steps for better sleep
Troxel recommends taking the following steps to improve the quality of sleep.
First, slowly advance bedtime earlier by 15-minute increments each week.
Next, allow for plenty of sunlight in the morning, she advised, as sunlight is “one of the most powerful cues to help set the circadian rhythm.” In the evening, keep the lights low.
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It’s important to stay consistent with sleep schedules, even on the weekends, one sleep expert advised. (iStock)
Finally, stay consistent with your sleep schedule, including on weekends, Troxel suggested.
While this can be challenging, especially for night owls, reverting to a later bedtime and wake-up times will “set you back to square one,” she warned.
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The key to successfully shifting sleep habits is to do it gradually, Troxel said.
“It’s similar to the approach we would recommend for changing one’s schedule to manage jetlag,” she said.
Being aware of how you’re spending your late nights is “crucial” to good mental health, one of the study researchers said. (iStock)
Zeitzer noted that it can be difficult for anyone to switch up their sleep schedules, especially for those who prefer more “extreme times,” like staying up until 4:00 a.m. or waking up before 5:00 a.m.
Going to bed and waking up at the same time every day is the best way to successfully make a shift, he said, along with exposure to bright light.
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Older adults identified as “super movers” are about half as likely to develop cognitive impairment than their peers.
That’s according to a recent study led by Stony Brook Medicine in New York, which evaluated the cognitive function of 4,000 adults 80 and over who participated in multiple aging and longevity studies over several years.
Among this group, 6% to 10% were classified as super movers, which means they walk at a much faster pace than others of the same age and gender — at speeds comparable to people three decades younger.
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The super movers were found to have about half the risk of cognitive decline compared to seniors with typical gait speed.
The findings were published in the journal Neurology on June 16.
Older adults identified as “super movers” are about half as likely to develop cognitive impairment than their peers. (iStock)
“The study reinforces that mobility and brain health are closely connected,” lead study author Dr. Joe Verghese, MD, neurologist at Stony Brook Medicine, told Fox News Digital. “This suggests that preserving mobility may be an important marker of healthy brain aging and resilience.”
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The most intriguing finding, according to Verghese, was that super movers maintained cognitive function despite having similar dementia-related brain changes as their peers.
In postmortem brain analysis, there was no difference in dementia-related pathologies between the super movers and the slower walkers, the study stated.
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“This suggests they may possess resilience mechanisms that help preserve brain function even in the presence of age-related changes,” he said. “Understanding these resilience factors could lead to new strategies for promoting healthy brain aging.”
As the study was observational, there were some limitations, and it does not prove that walking faster prevents dementia, the researchers noted.
Super movers were found to have about half the risk of cognitive decline compared to seniors with typical gait speed. (iStock)
“Other factors, such as cardiovascular health, physical fitness or genetics, may also contribute to both faster walking and better cognitive outcomes,” Verghese said.
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This study adds to growing evidence that what’s good for the heart and muscles also benefits the brain, he noted, adding that “staying physically active remains one of the most effective, evidence-based ways to support healthy aging.”
“Walking speed is best viewed as a marker of overall health, not a treatment.”
“The broader message is that physical activity is important at any age,” Verghese said. “Walking is an easy step-up point because you don’t need any special equipment. You can do it inside or outdoors, and you can do it on a regular basis. You can walk with a dog, you can walk with a friend.”
Any activity is beneficial if it’s done regularly and with the right intensity, he added.
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Rather than just trying to walk faster, the neurologist recommends that seniors focus on maintaining mobility through regular physical activity, strength training, balance exercises and good cardiovascular health.
“Walking speed is best viewed as a marker of overall health, not a treatment,” Verghese noted.
Major public health guidelines from the CDC and U.S. Physical Activity Guidelines recommend at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic activity each week, such as brisk walking.
Major public health guidelines from the CDC and U.S. Physical Activity Guidelines recommend at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic activity each week, such as brisk walking. (iStock)
This can be achieved by walking 30 minutes a day, five days a week, or about 20 to 25 minutes most days. Another option is to engage in shorter sessions that add up over the day.
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“You have to do it within your health limitations and medical conditions,” Verghese advised. “So if there are any medical concerns, I would get your physician to clear you before starting exercise.” The good thing about walking, he added, is that you can start at a slow pace and then gradually build up to a brisker pace.
“And then adding on strength and balance training, whatever age you are, I think is also important.”
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Health
Dr Oz warns Medicare scammers are stealing billions — and your personal information could be next
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Washington, D.C. – Medicare fraud is a multibillion-dollar problem that government officials say threatens both taxpayer dollars and Americans’ personal identities.
In a July 6 interview with Fox News Digital at the Great American State Fair in Washington, D.C., Dr. Mehmet Oz warned that every dollar stolen through Medicare fraud is a dollar taxpayers lose – a problem that has worsened since the COVID pandemic.
“If I had to just pick one thing to focus on to make healthcare more affordable in America, I’d go to health fraud and all the waste and abuse that accompanies it,” said Oz, who is the administrator of the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. “And just to put this in perspective, we think it’s about $100 billion a year.”
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Medicare fraud can include billing for services that were never provided, overcharging for medical equipment, using stolen patient or doctor information, or performing unnecessary procedures, according to the U.S. Government Accountability Office.
CMS administrator Dr. Mehmet Oz is pictured on stage at the Great American State Fair in Washington, D.C., on July 6, 2026. (Angelica Stabile/Fox News Digital)
As the Trump administration ramped up efforts to combat fraud, CMS reported $41.9 billion in Medicare program integrity savings in 2025, up 59% from $26.3 billion in 2024.
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Medicare fraud not only harms the federal budget and steals from taxpayers, but exposes seniors to identity theft, unnecessary care, higher premiums and reduced access, Oz cautioned.
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Removing corruption from the healthcare system will have the greatest impact among seniors, since “so much of the fraud is perpetrated against them,” the administrator said.
“I’m talking about people tricking seniors to give up their Medicare beneficiary numbers, which is like a credit card basically,” he said. “These scammers can take those numbers and use them for all kinds of illegitimate purposes.”
“If I had to just pick one thing to focus on to make healthcare more affordable in America, I’d go to health fraud and all the waste and abuse that accompanies it,” said Oz. (Fox News Digital)
“People are stealing from you by pretending to send you drugs you don’t want, wheelchairs you don’t need, [and] services you never asked for or don’t benefit from,” Oz added.
To prevent this, he shared his top advice for seniors: Do not give your Medicare beneficiary number to anybody, do not answer questions on a phone call from an unknown person and do not give away personal information.
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“These scammers are calling seniors, tricking them, and once they have key information, they can steal it,” he said. “And I won’t know it and you won’t know it.”
“We want to protect people who need these programs the most,” Oz went on. “You do that by making sure scoundrels don’t corrupt the systems and steal money out of the till that is designed to help folks in dire straits when they’re vulnerable and in need of services.”
Seniors should never share their Medicare information with unknown people, the administrator advised. (iStock)
Removing fraud could “double the life expectancy of the trust fund that makes all this possible,” Oz predicted.
“If you’re worried about Medicare being there when you’re ready to retire in a couple decades, depending on how old you are, and you’re concerned that it might not last because of all the fraud that’s hitting it … you’ve got a good [reason to] worry,” he said.
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“If we take the fraud out, we could double the life expectancy, which means you, your kids, your kids’ kids … they could all benefit from this beautiful safety net program.”
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