Why You're Taller in the Morning (And Shorter at Night)

Why are you taller in the morning and shorter at night? Small changes in the discs between your vertebrae help explain why the same ruler can give you two different readings in one day. In this animated explainer, discover how daily loading and fluid exchange affect disc height, what changes while you rest, and why astronauts make the story more interesting. You'll also learn how to compare your morning and evening height more consistently at home. The size and timing of daily height changes vary between people and conditions. CHAPTERS 0:00 Where did your height go? 0:18 How much can height change? 0:41 The cushions between your vertebrae 1:51 How tiny changes add up 2:11 What changes when you stand 2:35 Fluid exchange and creep 3:11 Why timing matters 3:48 What MRI can reveal 4:24 Rest and recovery 4:38 Why water returns to the tissue 5:25 Height in microgravity 5:56 What the astronaut study measured 6:15 Measuring consistently at home 7:01 What both readings mean SOURCES Daily height change and disc fluid changes https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/8064481/ Disc volume and morphology https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/8009352/ Morning/evening MRI study https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/25598... Timing and spinal loading https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/4002039/ Disc anatomy and loading review https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles... Fluid-flow review https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/27651... NASA: height changes in space https://www.nasa.gov/reference/risk-o... Astronaut preflight/postflight study https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/27779... Have you ever compared your morning and evening height? Share what surprised you, and subscribe to Innerpulse for clear explanations of how your body works. #humanbody #bodyscience #spine