Getting enough sleep is crucial for the heart, but there’s another factor that may be important when it comes to slumber and cardiovascular health: when you go to bed.
The American Heart Association includes sleep duration as part of its “Life’s Essential 8” cardiovascular health checklist.
Adults should get seven to nine hours of daily sleep, which can lead to improved mood, a stronger immune system and the repairing of cells, tissues and blood vessels, the AHA notes.
It’s a large chunk of time for the body to be in relaxation mode, which is restorative and has a positive impact on high blood pressure, diabetes and obesity, a cardiologist previously told TODAY.com.
So how does bedtime play a role?
Heart Health Tip of the Day: Go to Bed Between 10-11 p.m.
This time window seems to be optimal for heart health, research published in the European Heart journal has found. It was associated with the lowest cardiovascular disease incidence.
Going to bed between 10 and 11 p.m. is not too early or too late, which seems to be a factor.
“The results suggest that early or late bedtimes may be more likely to disrupt the body clock, with adverse consequences for cardiovascular health,” neuroscientist David Plans, co-author of the study, told NBC News.
The findings are based on data from more than 88,000 adults who wore a wrist tracker that recorded when they fell asleep for a week. They were then followed for about six years to see how many developed heart problems.
People who regularly fell asleep from 11 to 11:59 p.m. had a 12% greater risk of developing heart disease. Those who fell asleep at midnight or later had a 25% higher risk.
Meanwhile, going to bed earlier than 10 p.m. was associated with a 24% increase in risk.
Why It Matters
Sleep timing is an emerging potential risk factor for heart disease, researchers note.
The “riskiest time” for falling asleep was after midnight, “potentially because it may reduce the likelihood of seeing morning light, which resets the body clock,” Plans said in a statement.
The increased cardiovascular risk was stronger in women who fell asleep late, which is especially “intriguing,” Dr. Roxana Mehran, an interventional cardiologist at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai in New York, told NBC News.
“We need to figure out anything that is more important or less important for preventing heart disease in women,” Mehran said.
But the research only shows an association between bedtime and heart disease risk, not a direct cause-and-effect link, she pointed out.
How to Get Started
Sleep experts recommend sticking to a regular routine during the week and the weekend, so consider avoiding a very late or a very early bedtime.
Evening habits can be a “driver of cardiovascular health,” according to Dr. Sanjay Bhojraj, an interventional cardiologist in California.
He consistently avoids sleep disrupting evening habits such as eating, intense exercise, alcohol and stressful TV shows or conversations after 7 p.m.
TODAY’s Expert Tip of the Day series is all about simple strategies to make life a little easier. Every Monday through Friday, different qualified experts share their best advice on diet, fitness, heart health, mental wellness and more.
