8 hours sleep or 8000 steps? This is the health goal you should hit to feel your best this new year

A close up of the undersole of a trainer while walking on concrete (left). A woman with afro hair wearing pink pyjamas while sleeping in bed with white sheets (rght).

With Christmas out the way, it's officially that time when people ambitiously set out to walk 10,000 steps daily, eat your five a day, drink two litres of water, get an hour workout, save money and make career moves — all at once. It's no wonder you may be feeling overwhelmed.

So, if you were to strip back these goals to one daily metric that can truly elevate your life, what would experts recommend? Turns out, it's eight hours of sleep.