Going to bed at 10pm linked to lower heart disease

Everyone knows that going to bed early is good for our health. Scientists say they have found the healthiest time to go to bed. Researchers from the U.K. Biobank say a bedtime of between 10pm and 11pm is best. They say people who sleep between these times have a lower risk of heart disease. Six years ago, the researchers collected data on the sleep patterns of 80,000 volunteers. The volunteers had to wear a special watch for seven days so the researchers could collect data on their sleeping and waking times. The scientists then monitored the health of the volunteers. Around 3,000 volunteers developed heart problems. They went to bed earlier or later than the "healthy" 10pm to 11pm timeframe.

One of the authors of the study, Dr David Plans, commented on his research and the effects of sleeping times on the health of our heart. He 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 [negative] consequences for cardiovascular health." He said it was important for our body to wake up to the morning light. He said: "The riskiest time [to go to bed] was after midnight because it may reduce the likelihood of seeing morning light, which resets the body clock." He added that we risk cardiovascular disease if our body clock is not reset properly.