Maintaining a consistent daily routine, including regular times for waking, eating, working, socializing, and going to bed, is associated with lower levels of physical pain and depression in older adults, even among those with insomnia, according to a study from the University of Missouri.

To examine how insomnia affects overall well-being, Eunjin Tracy, PhD, an assistant professor in Missouri's College of Education and Human Development and colleagues, analyzed survey data from 67 older adults, including 37 with insomnia.

As expected, participants with insomnia reported higher levels of pain and depression than those without. But regardless of sleep quality, participants who maintained consistent daily routines reported lower levels of both pain and depression than those without a regular routine.

Tracy said the effect may be explained in part by how regular schedules help synchronize the body's internal clock, or circadian rhythm, which influences sleep, mood, and other biological functions. "If we are consistent with when we wake up, eat, work or study, interact with others and go to bed, those time cues help synchronize our internal body clocks," she said. "Over the long term, that seems to be linked with improved health outcomes."

Even small disruptions to a weekly schedule can throw off the body's internal clock, Tracy said These disruptions, sometimes called social jet lag, refer to differences between weekday and weekend sleep and wake times. Maintaining consistency throughout the entire week, not just on workdays, can help minimize those disruptions.

"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 concluded.

To access the abstract of the study, published in the Journal of Behavioral Medicine, click here