Best time to go to bed if you want to exercise more revealed
Now researchers at Monash University have found the optimal bed time for those looking to increase exercise and physical activity when you wake is 9pm.
As part of the study, those who went to bed at 9pm logged a half hour more of moderate-to-vigorous exercise the following day, compared to night owls who did not sleep until 1am.
Even those who went to sleep at the study's average sleep time of 11pm recorded 15 minutes fewer physical activity the next day.
In good news, the researchers also found people can alter their sleep to improve their exercise, with those who went to sleep earlier than usual and got their regular amount of sleep recording the highest levels of physical activity the next day.
Nearly 20,000 sleepers were tracked via a biometric device for a year, resulting in almost six million nights of data.
Monash University School of Psychological Sciences' Josh Leota said standard work day may have had an impact on those who go to be later in the evening.
'Standard 9-to-5 routines can clash with the natural sleep preferences of evening types, leading to social jetlag, poorer sleep quality, and increased daytime sleepiness — which can all reduce motivation and opportunity for physical activity the next day,' Dr Leota said.
'These insights carry meaningful implications for public health.
'Rather than just promoting sleep and physical activity independently, health campaigns could encourage earlier bedtimes to naturally foster more active lifestyles.
'A holistic approach that recognises how these two essential behaviours interact may lead to better outcomes for individual and community health.'
Senior author Dr Elise Facer-Child said there was a strong relationship between sleep timing and physical activity.
'Sleep and physical activity are both critical to health, but until now we didn't fully grasp how intricately connected they are in everyday life,' she said.
'Our findings are consistent across different populations, and show that if you can get to sleep earlier than usual whilst keeping your sleep duration the same, you may be more likely to increase your physical activity the following day.'
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Tougher conditions for ships supplying Antarctic missions are also a problem with low ice coverage, the international study led by Australian Antarctic Program Partnership researchers has found. Really low summer sea ice is also associated with more icebergs breaking away from the coastline. Years with the least summer sea ice have produced more than twice as many icebergs as the years with the most summer sea ice. Lead author of the study, the AAPP's Edward Doddridge, said up until about 2015, sea ice was around average or even a bit above. "But since 2016 it has been consistently low, and the last few years have been extraordinarily low," he said during a media briefing. The wide-ranging study into the consequences of sea ice loss lands as uncertainty clouds the future of global climate science under the Trump administration. Dr Doddridge said the US Department of Defense planned to stop sharing its global sea ice coverage satellite data with the international community. 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The Advertiser
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AI gives birth to fresh hope against male infertility
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The system works by searching for the best sperm in semen samples taken from biopsies, offering embryologists another tool to select the most appropriate sperm to be used in IVF. Mr Gross said embryologists could often spend up to six hours looking for enough of the right tiny swimmers but the technology was shown to reduce search times by 75 per cent. "We found that our reducing the time to search, we were able to get through more samples, find more sperm and give these patients a better chance at having their own biological children," he said. The technology was given early access approval for research purposes at Sydney-based Virtus Health but Mr Goss hopes it could be approved for wider use across Australia by the end of the year. About 16 per cent of couples struggle with fertility, according to Family Planning NSW, while 1 in 18 babies in Australia are born through IVF each year. NSW couple Marcela and Rowan Moon experienced infertility until tests confirmed Mr Moon's semen had no sperm because of a genetic condition. "When they told us that Rowan was infertile I thought 'oh my God I can't have a child with Rowan being the father biologically' and then they said 'no, it's not like that, we can still do it'," Ms Moon said. Mr Moon had a biopsy as a day procedure and doctors took a sample, which was then used to create embryos. The first transfer was hailed a success and the couple later welcomed son Leo. "We were so lucky to get Leo first off the bat ... I don't think we really realised the rollercoaster that it was going to be," Mr Moon said. Artificial Intelligence is could make all the difference for would-be parents undergoing IVF who are struggling with the most severe forms of male infertility. The first Australian study of new technology has led to one live birth and five pregnancies in 12 months among 35 couples who would previously be considered infertile. "These are the most difficult cases that we see at an IVF clinic, so it's very motivating to be able to help people that in a normal world, naturally would never ever be able to have their own children," IVF Australia embryologist Dale Goss told AAP. "It's great to see translation from a science project essentially a few years ago and a proof of concept into something that's delivered in the clinic and actually see a healthy baby boy born." The NeoGenix Biosciences employee presented the findings from the first AI SpermSearch clinical study to the European Society of Human Reproduction and Embryology conference in Paris overnight. The system works by searching for the best sperm in semen samples taken from biopsies, offering embryologists another tool to select the most appropriate sperm to be used in IVF. Mr Gross said embryologists could often spend up to six hours looking for enough of the right tiny swimmers but the technology was shown to reduce search times by 75 per cent. "We found that our reducing the time to search, we were able to get through more samples, find more sperm and give these patients a better chance at having their own biological children," he said. The technology was given early access approval for research purposes at Sydney-based Virtus Health but Mr Goss hopes it could be approved for wider use across Australia by the end of the year. About 16 per cent of couples struggle with fertility, according to Family Planning NSW, while 1 in 18 babies in Australia are born through IVF each year. NSW couple Marcela and Rowan Moon experienced infertility until tests confirmed Mr Moon's semen had no sperm because of a genetic condition. "When they told us that Rowan was infertile I thought 'oh my God I can't have a child with Rowan being the father biologically' and then they said 'no, it's not like that, we can still do it'," Ms Moon said. Mr Moon had a biopsy as a day procedure and doctors took a sample, which was then used to create embryos. The first transfer was hailed a success and the couple later welcomed son Leo. "We were so lucky to get Leo first off the bat ... I don't think we really realised the rollercoaster that it was going to be," Mr Moon said. Artificial Intelligence is could make all the difference for would-be parents undergoing IVF who are struggling with the most severe forms of male infertility. The first Australian study of new technology has led to one live birth and five pregnancies in 12 months among 35 couples who would previously be considered infertile. "These are the most difficult cases that we see at an IVF clinic, so it's very motivating to be able to help people that in a normal world, naturally would never ever be able to have their own children," IVF Australia embryologist Dale Goss told AAP. "It's great to see translation from a science project essentially a few years ago and a proof of concept into something that's delivered in the clinic and actually see a healthy baby boy born." The NeoGenix Biosciences employee presented the findings from the first AI SpermSearch clinical study to the European Society of Human Reproduction and Embryology conference in Paris overnight. The system works by searching for the best sperm in semen samples taken from biopsies, offering embryologists another tool to select the most appropriate sperm to be used in IVF. Mr Gross said embryologists could often spend up to six hours looking for enough of the right tiny swimmers but the technology was shown to reduce search times by 75 per cent. "We found that our reducing the time to search, we were able to get through more samples, find more sperm and give these patients a better chance at having their own biological children," he said. The technology was given early access approval for research purposes at Sydney-based Virtus Health but Mr Goss hopes it could be approved for wider use across Australia by the end of the year. About 16 per cent of couples struggle with fertility, according to Family Planning NSW, while 1 in 18 babies in Australia are born through IVF each year. NSW couple Marcela and Rowan Moon experienced infertility until tests confirmed Mr Moon's semen had no sperm because of a genetic condition. "When they told us that Rowan was infertile I thought 'oh my God I can't have a child with Rowan being the father biologically' and then they said 'no, it's not like that, we can still do it'," Ms Moon said. Mr Moon had a biopsy as a day procedure and doctors took a sample, which was then used to create embryos. The first transfer was hailed a success and the couple later welcomed son Leo. "We were so lucky to get Leo first off the bat ... I don't think we really realised the rollercoaster that it was going to be," Mr Moon said. Artificial Intelligence is could make all the difference for would-be parents undergoing IVF who are struggling with the most severe forms of male infertility. The first Australian study of new technology has led to one live birth and five pregnancies in 12 months among 35 couples who would previously be considered infertile. "These are the most difficult cases that we see at an IVF clinic, so it's very motivating to be able to help people that in a normal world, naturally would never ever be able to have their own children," IVF Australia embryologist Dale Goss told AAP. "It's great to see translation from a science project essentially a few years ago and a proof of concept into something that's delivered in the clinic and actually see a healthy baby boy born." The NeoGenix Biosciences employee presented the findings from the first AI SpermSearch clinical study to the European Society of Human Reproduction and Embryology conference in Paris overnight. The system works by searching for the best sperm in semen samples taken from biopsies, offering embryologists another tool to select the most appropriate sperm to be used in IVF. Mr Gross said embryologists could often spend up to six hours looking for enough of the right tiny swimmers but the technology was shown to reduce search times by 75 per cent. "We found that our reducing the time to search, we were able to get through more samples, find more sperm and give these patients a better chance at having their own biological children," he said. The technology was given early access approval for research purposes at Sydney-based Virtus Health but Mr Goss hopes it could be approved for wider use across Australia by the end of the year. About 16 per cent of couples struggle with fertility, according to Family Planning NSW, while 1 in 18 babies in Australia are born through IVF each year. NSW couple Marcela and Rowan Moon experienced infertility until tests confirmed Mr Moon's semen had no sperm because of a genetic condition. "When they told us that Rowan was infertile I thought 'oh my God I can't have a child with Rowan being the father biologically' and then they said 'no, it's not like that, we can still do it'," Ms Moon said. Mr Moon had a biopsy as a day procedure and doctors took a sample, which was then used to create embryos. The first transfer was hailed a success and the couple later welcomed son Leo. "We were so lucky to get Leo first off the bat ... I don't think we really realised the rollercoaster that it was going to be," Mr Moon said.
Sky News AU
3 hours ago
- Sky News AU
'We need solutions': Staggering data shows drug use surging in Aussie workplaces, costing businesses billions
Workplace drug use is on the rise and costing Australian businesses billions, according to recent research. Substance use is growing in Australian workplaces, with one in nine people admitting to being under the influence of illicit drugs in the past 12 months. According to Touch Biotechnology, overall substance use is higher among employees at 19 per cent than the general population at 16 per cent. 'This makes the workplace a critical, yet often overlooked, setting for early detection and support - especially in high-risk industries like construction, transport, finance, and hospitality,' the company said in a media release. Matthew Salihi, CEO of Touch Biotechnology said drug use in a work setting often reflected what was happening in workers' private lives. 'People don't show up to work wanting to make unsafe choices - more often, they're dealing with pressure, stress, or personal issues that aren't always visible,' Mr Salihi said. 'While every individual is responsible for their actions, workplaces play a role in creating environments where people feel supported to do the right thing early.' Substance use is costing workplaces billions each year through absenteeism, safety incidents, poor decision-making, and rising mental health issues, according to Drug and Alcohol Research Connections. Data from Touch Biotechnology revealed mental health plays a pivotal role in drug use and job performance. Illicit drug use is almost three times higher among workers with high psychological distress at 32 per cent, compared to those with low distress, 12.7 per cent. Stigma within the workplace often means people keep to themselves and refuse to seek help in fear of losing their job, Touch Biotechnology said. As a result, the company aims to support early and discrete intervention, offering portable, non-invasive saliva and urine test kits for onsite or at-home use. Mr Salihi said tool kits offer employees the opportunity to take a moment to pause, check in, and reclaim control without fear or embarrassment. 'It's not about catching people out. It's about giving them the chance to act before a bad day becomes a bigger problem,' he said. The tools detect up to six substances within minutes, with a detection window up to 72-hours for saliva and 30-days for urine. They are designed for privacy while supporting health and safety, without sacrificing dignity or trust in the workplace. 'Our drug screening tools are made for real workplaces - on site, in offices, or out in the field,' Mr Salihi added. 'Unlike traditional testing that disrupts daily operations, self-testing is quick, discreet, and empowers early action. 'When testing is embedded in a culture of care, that's when you see real change.'
