A positive sleep habit can be twice as good

Millions of people suffer from insomnia. There are some things you can do to improve your sleep habits – and this one could have a doubly positive effect.

There's something so satisfying about cuddling up in bed and falling into a deep sleep. Nothing beats waking up and feeling great…but for millions, it's sometimes a nightmare. Nearly 40% of adults don't get enough sleep, and approximately 55 to 75 million Canadians and Americans suffer from persistent sleep problems. But this one positive sleep habit can do twice as much good for you.

Routines are the key to sleep for most people. Science says that the body functions better on a schedule, so devilish habits around sleep can lead to a better outcome. Lack of sleep can not only lead to poor concentration, reduced reaction times and mood swings, but also heart problems.

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A study published in the European Heart Journal – Digital Health followed over 88,000 adults over a six-year period to understand the link between sleep and heart health. Researchers were able to access information on the subjects’ lifestyle, demographics, physical activity and health.

After accounting for various factors such as lifestyle, stress, gender and more, the study found that there was a 12% increase in heart disease among people who went to bed between 11pm and 11:59pm. This percentage rose to 25% when people went to bed after midnight. Women seemed to be more affected than men at these times and thus at higher risk.

Study co-author David Plans explained in a statement how circadian rhythms work and why our bedtime could play an important role in our heart health. “Although we cannot draw causal conclusions from our study, the results suggest that early or late bedtimes may be more likely to disrupt the internal clock, which may have negative consequences for cardiovascular health,” he said.

Photo by Bruno Aguirre via Unsplash

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Heart disease is the leading cause of death for most people in America, and therefore a major concern for most of us. It is influenced by internal factors such as cholesterol levels and blood pressure, but also by external influences such as smoking and, apparently, your sleeping habits.

Although the results are inconclusive and do not mean that sleeping in earlier will reduce your risk of heart disease, they do suggest that there is a link between good sleep and healthy heart function.