According to a recent study published in the European Heart Journal — Digital Health, going to sleep between 10pm and 11pm is associated with a lower risk of developing heart disease in comparison to later or earlier bedtimes. The study found that the circadian clock (the biological clock that reminds our body when it is time to sleep and wake up) has a larger impact on our overall health than originally thought.
The study took into account the data provided by 88,026 individuals in the UK Biobank between the ages of 43 to 79 years of age. The average age was 61 years and 58 per cent of the participants were women. The information was collected on a wrist-worn accelerometer which recorded the sleep onset and wake-up time. The subjects were asked to fill in a demographic, lifestyle, health, and physical questionnaire and were then followed up for a new diagnosis of cardiovascular disease, stroke, and transient ischemic attack.
When evaluated after an average of 5.7 years, 3,172 participants developed cardiovascular diseases such as strokes, heart attacks, or heart failure. These incidents were highest among people who slept at midnight or later and lowest among those who fell asleep from 10pm to 10:59 pm.
Researchers concluded that from a cardiovascular point of view, sleep is definitely a risk factor that one should keep in mind when improving their overall health. According to the World Health Organization, cardiovascular diseases are the leading cause of death worldwide. Over the last year, the coronavirus pandemic has impacted our sleeping habits. Most of us wake up later because we’re working from home and do not commute to our offices regularly anymore. This leads to using up less energy which leads to trouble falling asleep at night.
Want to get your sleep cycle on track? Try this…
Good sleep requires a number of things including adequate duration, a regular schedule, and the absence of factors that may cause disturbances.
1. Stick to a regular sleep schedule. This will help you to fall asleep and wake up like clockwork.
2. Blue light from phone screens can trick your body into thinking it's daytime. Put away electronic devices an hour before you’re about to go to bed.
3. Short power naps during the day can be beneficial but longer ones can impair sleep quality because they mess with your internal clock. If you struggle with falling asleep, shorten your naps during the day or avoid them completely.