But what if your normal bedtime is 2-3am? I'm not worrying about this, I had practically a zero risk for stroke and I had one.
This is probably the same definition of normal as when your doctors tell you you can resume normal activities. But I normally do whitewater canoeing and skydiving, good to know I can resume those after open heart surgery.
Staying up past your bedtime could increase risk of stroke, diabetes and heart disease
Going to bed even one minute past your regular time can significantly affect your resting heart rate and carry over into the next day, findings show.
The findings could even explain why shift workers suffer from poor health.
Scientists have stressed the importance of healthy sleep habits recommending at least seven hours each night, linking a lack of sleep to an increase in multiple health conditions.
A new study now shows whether or not you go to bed on time could also have an effect on your health.
US researchers at the University of Notre Dame in Indiana studied the correlation between bedtime regularity and resting heart rate (RHR) using Fitbit data.
They found that people going to bed even 30 minutes later than their usual bedtime presented a significantly higher resting heart rate that lasted into the following day.
Lead study author Professor Nitesh Chawla, from the University of Notre Dame, said: "Despite increasing awareness of how critical sleep is to our health, getting a good night's rest remains increasingly difficult in a world that's always 'on.'
"Responding to emails at all hours, news cycles that change with every tweet and staring endlessly into the blue light of cell phone, tablet and computer screens.
"We already know an increase in resting heart rate means an increased risk to cardiovascular health.
"Through our study, we found that even if you get seven hours of sleep a night, if you're not going to bed at the same time each night, not only does your resting heart rate increase while you sleep, it carries over into the next day."
Prof Chawla and his team analysed data collected via Fitbit from 557 college students over the course of four years.
They recorded more than 255,000 sleep sessions measuring bedtimes, sleep and resting heart rate.
Significant increases in RHR were found when individuals went to bed anywhere between one and 30 minutes later than their normal bedtime.
The later they went to bed, the higher the increase in RHR and rates remained higher the following day.
Prof Chawla said: "Surprisingly, going to bed earlier than one's standard bedtime also showed signs of increasing RHR though it depended on just how early.
"Going to bed 30 minutes earlier than usual appeared to have little effect, while going to bed more than a half hour earlier significantly increased RHR."
But in cases of earlier bedtimes, RHR levelled out during the sleep session.
Circadian rhythms, medications and lifestyle factors all come into play when it comes to healthy sleep habits, but researchers said it is vital to consider consistency as well.
Prof Chawla added: "For some, it may be a matter of maintaining their regular 'work week' bedtime through the weekend.
"For shift workers and those who travel frequently, getting to bed at the same time each night is a challenge.
"Establishing a healthy bedtime routine as best you can is obviously step number one. But sticking to it is just as important."
Findings were published in the journal Nature.
No comments:
Post a Comment