People over 60 feel younger in the morning - new research
People over 60 years old feel younger in the morning, suggesting that this is the best time to maximise wellbeing activities.
By Helen Breese | Published on 27 March 2026
Categories: Press office; Research; School of Social Sciences;
A study by psychologists at Nottingham Trent University involved 86 men and women aged 60 to 81 who completed online questionnaires once early in the morning and once in the late afternoon or early evening.
They were questioned on how old they feel, daytime sleepiness, positivity about ageing and how open they are to new ideas and changes, known as ‘cognitive closure’. They also completed a questionnaire which identified whether they are naturally more alert in the morning or evening.
The majority of participants were found to be ‘morning people’ and reported feeling significantly younger earlier in the day than in the evening, they also felt less sleepy at that time of day.
Measures of positive feelings about ageing didn’t change from morning to evening, and while cognitive closure also remained stable, people who felt sleepier overall tended to be less open to change.
Sleepiness was also associated with more anxiety, stress and low mood, as well as lower positivity about ageing.
Dr Stephen Badham, lead researcher and Associate Professor in Psychology at NTU’s School of Social Sciences, said: “This study is not about making sure older adults get more sleep, but rather to explore whether it may be more beneficial to engage with activities when they are most alert.
“Our findings suggest that motivation to be active or to change behaviour may fluctuate with alertness and sense of wellbeing throughout the day.
“Morning for many of our participants was seen to be the better time for activities requiring concentration, decision‑making, or learning something new. So, for example, important medical, financial or lifestyle decision‑making opportunities should be offered earlier in the day.”
The research also recommends that organisations should tailor their services to people’s natural preferences for being more alert at certain times of day wherever possible.
“While most older adults are morning‑oriented, not everyone is. Simply asking about preferred times of day could improve engagement,” added Dr Badham.
Read the full paper People over 60 feel younger in the morning: A good time of day to enhance wellbeing?
Notes for Editors
Press enquiries please contact Helen Breese, Public Relations and Research Communications Manager, on telephone +44 (0)115 848 8751, or via email.
About Nottingham Trent University
Nottingham Trent University (NTU) has been named UK ‘University of the Year’ five times in six years, (Times Higher Education Awards 2017, The Guardian University Awards 2019, The Times and Sunday Times 2018 and 2023, Whatuni Student Choice Awards 2023) and is consistently one of the top performing modern universities in the UK.
Students have voted us the best university in the UK and 1st in the UK for student employability (Uni Compare 2025).
NTU is 4th in the UK for number of undergraduate students (HESA 2023-24) with over 36,000 students and more than 4,000 staff located across six campuses. It has an international student population of 6,000 and an NTU community representing over 160 countries.
NTU owns two Queen’s Anniversary Prizes for outstanding achievements in research (2015, 2021). The first recognises NTU’s research on the safety and security of global citizens. The second was awarded for research in science, engineering, arts and humanities to investigate and restore cultural objects, buildings and heritage. The Research Excellence Framework (2021) classed 83% of NTU’s research activity as either world-leading or internationally excellent.
NTU was awarded GOLD in the national 2023 Teaching Excellence Framework (TEF) assessment.
NTU is a top 10 for sport (British Universities and Colleges Sport league table 2025) and was named as Sports University of the Year (Daily Mail University Guide 2025). It has also been ranked as 25th in the UK by the Guardian University Guide 2026.
NTU is a holder of the University Mental Health Charter recognising the commitment an institution has shown towards continuous improvement in the area of mental health and wellbeing.
NTU is the most environmentally sustainable university in the UK and second in the world (UI Green Metric University World Rankings, 2024).