Find out the best time to hit the sack, according to this new study

According to a new study, going to sleep between 10 pm and 11 pm is associated with a lower risk of developing heart disease compared to earlier or later bedtimes. The study published in the European Heart Journal, a journal of the European Society of Cardiology, said that the body has a 24-hour internal clock, called circadian rhythm, that helps regulate physical and mental functioning.

The study included 88,026 adults recruited between 2006 and 2010 with an average age of 61 years of whom, 58% were women. Data on sleep onset and waking up time was collected over seven days using a wrist-worn accelerometer. It was followed by a diagnosis of cardiovascular disease, which was defined as a heart attack, heart failure, chronic heart disease and stroke.

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5 years later, a follow-up diagnosis was conducted in which 3.6% of the participants had developed cardiovascular diseases. It was also noted that this incidence of heart ailments was recorded to be higher for those who slept at midnight or later.

There was a

• 25% higher risk of cardiovascular disease with sleep onset at midnight or later
• 12% greater risk for 11:00 to 11:59 pm
• 24% raised risk for falling asleep before 10:00 pm

The riskiest time is after midnight as researchers believe that sleeping past 12 AM hampers the biological sleep cycle.

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