Experts Reveal The Ideal Time To Fall Asleep — And It Might Help You Live Longer

Experts are now pointing to a so-called 'golden hour' for falling asleep—and they believe it could actually make a big difference when it comes to your long-term health.

Most of us already know that sleep is a major factor in how we feel and function. When we don’t get enough rest, it can take a toll on nearly every part of our lives, both mentally and physically.

To show just how serious a lack of sleep can be, researchers once used a 3D model to represent someone only getting six hours of sleep a night. The results? Tired, worn-out, and pretty alarming.

But beyond just how much sleep you’re getting, scientists say that when you fall asleep could be just as important. There might be an ideal time window that gives your body the best shot at staying healthy.

This idea was explored in a study backed by the British Heart Foundation and published in the European Heart Journal back in 2021.

In this study, researchers observed 88,000 adults from the UK Biobank. All participants were between 43 and 74 years old, and their sleep habits were tracked over a full week.

To monitor sleep patterns, participants wore wrist devices that recorded what time they fell asleep and woke up. They also filled out a lifestyle questionnaire to provide extra context on their daily habits.

Over the course of the next six years, more than 3,100 of the individuals involved in the study ended up developing some form of heart or circulatory disease.

Researchers noticed something pretty significant—those who usually went to sleep between 10:00 p.m. and 11:00 p.m. had the lowest risk of developing these health conditions.

In comparison, people who tended to fall asleep between 11:00 p.m. and midnight saw their risk of heart and circulatory issues rise by 12 percent.

And for those who regularly went to bed after midnight, the risk more than doubled. That’s a big jump for simply going to sleep a bit later.

A study suggested that there's a 'golden hour' of when you should fall asleep Getty Stock

Regina Giblin, a Senior Cardiac Nurse at the British Heart Foundation, later shared her insights on the findings. She emphasized that no matter what time you usually hit the pillow, prioritizing quality sleep is incredibly important for your overall health.

"This large study suggests that going to sleep between 10 and 11pm could be the sweet spot for most people to keep their heart healthy long-term," she explained.

"However, it's important to remember that this study can only show an association and can't prove cause and effect. More research is needed into sleep timing and duration as a risk factor for heart and circulatory diseases."

Apparently people should be aiming to fall asleep between 10 and 11pm Getty Stock

Giblin also added: "Getting enough sleep is important for our general wellbeing as well as our heart and circulatory health, and most adults should aim for seven to nine hours of sleep per night."

"But sleep isn't the only factor that can impact heart health. It's also important to look at your lifestyle as knowing your numbers such as blood pressure and cholesterol levels, maintaining a healthy weight and exercising regularly, cutting down on salt and alcohol intake, and eating a balanced diet can also help to keep your heart healthy."