If you’re tired and run down and find yourself with that rare spare chunk of time, should you be using it to workout or get more sleep?

Because both are so critical for optimum health, medical experts hesitate to say one is more important than the other. However, there is a key differentiator between the two: “We have a biological need to sleep — it’s a behavior we must do every day,” says Christopher Kline, PhD, an assistant professor at the University of Pittsburgh’s Physical Activity and Weight Management Research Center. “Physical activity, on the other hand, is definitely beneficial for health, but being less active for a few days here and there doesn’t have the same negative health impact as skimping on sleep for consecutive days.”

In other words, skipping workouts, while not ideal, won’t stop you from operating, whereas being sleep deprived definitely will. “Sleep deprivation can impact many aspects of daytime function, including how parents interact and deal with their children,” Kline says. “Too little sleep or poor-quality sleep can impact mood, make you more volatile, and increase anxiety and depression symptoms.”

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