naure.com
Human BodySurprise 4/5Difficulty 2/5Reviewed on September 15, 2026

Human beings are naturally taller in the morning than at the end of the day.

Why it is true

During the day, gravity compresses the intervertebral discs of the spine, causing a loss of about one centimeter in height, which is recovered overnight while lying down.

Source: Physiology Today

Would you rather be asked first?

This is the reading side of the site, so the answer is in the sentence above — that is the whole point of it. Test yourself works the other way round: the question comes on its own, and the fact and the explanation only appear once you have answered.

Test yourself →10-question challenge

Related facts

More in Human Body

See all →