Is there a perfect time to go to sleep? Scientists may finally have answers

Nearly three out
of every 10 deaths in the world are due to heart disease making it one of the
leading causes of death. As such, heart disease constitutes one of the most
significant health challenges of our times. In a recently published study,
researchers say that falling asleep at the right time can go a long way in
keeping the heart healthy. And what is the right time? Between 10 and 11pm is
the sweet spot, says the study.

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Sleep cycles of more
than 88,000 adults were tracked for nearly six years as part of the study.
Results revealed that people who went to sleep from 11 pm to 11:59 pm had a 10%
higher risk of developing heart disease and people who went to sleep at
midnight or later had a 25% higher risk.

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However, this
doesn’t mean that going to bed as early as possible is the right course. The
research shows going to sleep before 10 pm leads to a 24% increase in risk of
heart disease.

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“The body has a
24-hour internal clock, called circadian rhythm, that helps regulate physical
and mental functioning,” said David Plans, co-author of the study, a
neuroscientist and a senior lecturer at the University of Exeter in UK.

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According to
Plans, sleeping late in the night may cause individuals to miss important cues
such as morning daylight, which helps reset the body’s internal clock daily.

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If the body clock
is not circadian rhythm is not reset properly at regular intervals, the
misalignment of behaviours and the circadian clock increases inflammation and
can impair glucose regulation, both of which can increase risk of
cardiovascular disease.

The study focused on
88,026 participants recruited between 2006 and 2010. Of them, 3,172
participants developed cardiovascular disease over an average follow-up time of
5.7 years, none of whom had the condition or a sleep disorder at the start of
the study.