People who go to bed between 10pm and 11pm may be at a lower risk of developing heart disease, a new study suggests.
In the study, published in the European Heart Journal, researchers recorded the sleep and wake times of 88,000 volunteers using a device worn on the wrist.
The researchers followed up on the participants’ heart and circulatory health over an average of six years.
Just over 3,000 of the participants developed cardiovascular disease – many of whom went to bed outside of the 10pm-11pm window.
The researchers controlled for factors such as sleep duration and irregularity as well as factors known to affect heart risk, such as age, weight and cholesterol levels.
Study author Dr David Plans, from the University of Exeter, said: “While we cannot conclude causation from our study, the results suggest that early or late bedtimes may be more likely to disrupt the body clock, with adverse consequences for cardiovascular health.
“The riskiest time was after midnight, potentially because it may reduce the likelihood of seeing morning light, which resets the body clock.”
Regina Giblin, senior cardiac nurse at the British Heart Foundation, said: “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.
“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.
Adults should aim to get between seven and 10 hours’ sleep a night, Giblin added.
However, the spokesperson stressed that a number of other factors can affect 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.”
A recent US study found that poor sleep was associated with a 24 per cent increased risk of suffering from a subarachnoid haemorrhage.
