You might be unsure of your bedtime being too late or too early, but the ideal bedtime lies within the ‘golden hour’ between 10 to 11 p.m. based on a recent study. A study published by European Heart Journal – Digital Health with data collected from a study consisting of 88,000 participants of the UK Biobank with results showing participants sleeping between 10 to 11 p.m. felt better rested and even helped improve their health.

The study indicates people who go to sleep around the golden hour on average have a lower risk of stroke and cardiovascular disease compared to people with earlier or later bedtimes. The researchers of the study indicate approximately 80% of the population are genetically programmed to feel sleepy during the golden hour and wake up approximately eight hours later around 6 to 7 a.m.

For optimal health, people need to stay in sync with the natural circadian rhythm and sleep cycles. A previous study observed the sensitivity of participants’ sleep timing and the importance of participants sticking to a dedicated sleep/wake daily routine.

The human internal clock is determined and synchronized by external factors frequently the time the sun rises or falls. The human body sets the internal clock based on the presence of lightness or darkness taking blackout curtains for example. Blackout curtains keep all the light out of a room that is helpful when trying to sleep but having them drawn during the daytime can throw off the internal clock.

One global example of sleep directly impacting health is through time changes demonstrating a spike in heart attacks in the spring when time moves forward one hour. There was a spike of 24% more heart attacks the day after the time change as losing one hour of sleep can confuse the internal clock and directly compromise a healthy body.

There are many links between heart disease and sleep disturbance as blood pressure can increase when sleep is disturbed. While sleeping, the body activates the parasympathetic nervous system that resulting in growth, relaxation, repair, recovery, and building immunity.

Being sleep deprived can lead to entering the state of sympathetic dominance, putting the body in fight or flight mode with raised levels of stress hormones like adrenaline and cortisol. This can result in a rise in heart rate and blood pressure that can wear on the arteries over time leading to a risk of a heart attack.

Having quality sleep can be important in maintaining peak health but there are a couple of things to try to maintain a good sleep/wake time. It’s recommended to limit screen time one hour before bedtime that will help to relax the mind and reduce blue light stimulants that can keep you awake.

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