Usually, bedtimes are associated with kids for when they should sleep. But a new study reveals that adults too should follow a specific bedtime or known as the golden hour for when to sleep, which will help lower the risk of developing heart disease or any serious health problems.
Researchers noted that sleeping too early or too late than the golden hour still increases the risk of cardiovascular disease in adults. They described their full findings in the study titled "Accelerometer-Derived Sleep Onset Timing and Cardiovascular Disease Incidence: A UK Biobank Cohort Study," which was published in the European Heart Journal.
What Time is the Golden Hour for Adults to Sleep?
Over a decade ago, researchers recruited more than 88,000 participants for their study who were asked to wear a device on their wrists that will detect when they sleep for seven days. Five years later, researchers follow-up the 3,172 participants, or an equivalent to 3.6% of the total number, and recorded who had developed some kind of heart disease, including heart attacks, strokes, and heart failures.
The Independent reported that those that had gone to sleep between 10 pm to 11 pm were least likely to have developed heart problems, regardless of their age, sex, duration of sleep, smoking habits, BMI, blood sugar levels, blood pressure, and socioeconomic status.
Although researchers said that they can not conclude causation from the study, they pointed out that the findings suggest that early or late bedtime may be more likely to disrupt the body's circadian rhythm leading to cardiovascular disease or other serious health issues.
They noted that those who went to bed before 10 pm had a 24% increased risk of developing cardiovascular disease later in life, while those who slept after midnight had a 25% increased risk.
Previous studies have already shown the correlation between sleep duration and cardiovascular health. But researchers said that their study is the first to describe the relationship between the golden hour that adults should sleep and heart health.
"Our study indicates that the optimum time to go to sleep is at a specific point in the body's 24-hour cycle and deviations may be detrimental to health," the news outlet quoted Professor David Plans, from the University of Exeter.
Why is 10 PM to 11 PM Considered to be the Golden Hour?
Researchers said that people who regularly go to sleep during the golden hour of between 10 pm and 11 pm had the lowest risk for heart disease and even shifting it by a couple of hours could have severe consequences, WCNC reported.
The association between the golden hour and the risk of developing heart disease was stronger in women. Dr. Plans explains that the sex difference might be attributed to how different the endocrine system responds to disruption in circadian rhythm, particularly at old age when women's cardiovascular risk increases post-menopause.
However, researchers said that it is a mystery how sleeping at the golden hour correlates to heart health. They are trying to figure out why sleeping at 10 pm is ideal, although they hypothesize that it has something to do with the circadian rhythm. They noted that the body is naturally inclined to function during certain hours and any disruption could cause adverse effects on one's health.
Check out more news and information on Sleep in Science Times.
