So… can you skip your morning workout and STILL shed pounds?

If you have ever set an alarm in a bid to squeeze in a morning workout as a more healthy way to start our day, then you know how rough it can feel.

With winter closing in on us, sorry but someone had to say it, getting out of bed before the sun has risen can seem a very difficult task indeed. How tempting is it to just press the snooze button? Or better yet, just knock off you alarm altogether.

The people at Greatist wanted to end the fight between morning gym sessions and sleep once and for all. So they turned to some experts to help.

According to national Institutes of Health, adults should be getting seven to eight hours of sleep each night. Unfortunately most people don’t reach these levels of sleepy bliss.

Biologist Jason Edmonds says that working out while exhausted can feel harder and less productive. However, the early bird workouts do have benefits. Such as:

You’re more likely to go to gym in the morning before other social events pop up during the day.

Exercising releases endorphins. The feel good chemicals can help give you a boost and relieve stress for the remainder of the day.

You will sleep better. In one study, participants who exercised before 7 a.m. slept longer and had deeper sleep cycles than those who exercised as 1p.m or 7 p.m.

The takeaway from the investigation seems to be that if you’re constantly choosing between sleep and the gym then you need to readjust your schedule. One won’t work without the other, so if you really to get fit and stay healthy, the experts are suggests you find a balance.