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WHEN TO FALL ASLEEP – AND FOR HOW LONG?

November 12, 2021 16 Comments

I’ve been thinking about sleep recently. We all know it’s important. But how important? And what else should we know?

Three years ago, when I met Professor Hornberger, an expert in dementia and ageing, he was adamant that the quality of sleep mattered most – not the quantity. He explained the importance of slow-wave sleep for keeping dementia at bay, easing my fears about lack of sleep duration.  I rarely get the recommended 7-8 hours of sleep – and so I felt much better once Prof Hornberger had told me this was relatively unimportant.

Thus I wasn’t surprised to see the recent headline-making research suggesting that optimal sleep is between 4.5 and 6.5 hours.  My friends, however, were shocked.  After all, the sleep experts have been banging on about the need for 8 hours of shut-eye for years. So what’s going on?

This report, from Washington University School of Medicine, found that too much sleep was as potentially detrimental as too little sleep when it comes to cognitive decline. They tracked the sleep of 100 adults in their mid-to-late 70s for nearly five years, then tested them repeatedly during the day using standard cognition tests.  Sleep was measured using an EEG device which enabled researchers to see how long and deeply the subjects slept for.  The researchers concluded that having less slow-wave sleep (considered the most important for physiological repair and restoration) particularly affected the brain.  As ever, long sleep could have been a sign of fermenting illness, so perhaps we shouldn’t fret too much about sleeping for too long.

We all have genetic predispositions to sleep, so it’s worth checking back over your ancestral history.  If a parent was a long sleeper, then you too may be a long sleeper. And the same goes for short sleepers. In which case, take no notice of this study. But if, like me, you worry about rarely getting the recommended eight hours, you can take heart. What matters is getting a decent chunk (4.5 hours) of deep, undisturbed sleep.  We typically get our slow-wave sleep earlier in the night, so try and have the right conditions in place for a peaceful first-half of the night.

Yesterday another sleep study popped into my in-box.  Researchers at the University of Exeter have identified the optimal time to fall asleep for cardiovascular health.  I’m delighted – because it’s my preferred fall-asleep hour. This time, researchers found that falling asleep either before 10pm or after midnight was associated with a 25 percent increase in heart disease when compared to those falling asleep between 10 and 11 pm.

This study analysed six years of data on over 88,000 subjects (aged 43-78) comparing their sleep timings with subsequent health issues.

The riskiest time to fall asleep? ‘After midnight,’ said Dr Plans, study author. Why? ‘Because it may reduce the likelihood of seeing morning light, which resets the body clock.’

In other words, sleeping after midnight means we wake up later, and might not get the morning light needed for our circadian rhythms.  As you may know, one of our mantras at the Age-Well project is ‘Walk in natural light within an hour of waking.’ Our other mantra is ‘Keep regular hours.’ The body likes habit. It likes to eat, sleep (even exercise) at the same time every day.

But here’s the other interesting finding in this study: the risk of heart disease increased for women going to sleep after midnight.  Which is to say, women might want to pay particular attention to falling asleep between 10pm and 11pm. Sorry to be the bearer of this news in the run-up to party season (although I have a grand total of two in my diary).

Why are the hearts of women more affected by late bed-times? Dr Plans has a suggestion: ‘there may be a sex difference in how the endocrine system responds to a disruption in the circadian rhythm… alternatively, the older age of study participants could be a confounding factor since women’s cardiovascular risk increases post-menopause.’ So let’s not fret too much. At least not until we have more data.

Of course, it’s possible that people staying up late are more likely to be drinking or looking at screens – both of which affect how well we sleep.  So it may be these activities – rather than our sleep time –affecting our heart health.

I, however, will be sticking with my preferred bedtime, which is 10pm sharp. Lights out 10.45pm.

Having problems sleeping? We’ve written about sleep here and here. And our book, The Age-Well Project, has a very large section devoted to falling asleep and then getting sufficient deep-wave sleep.  We’re currently giving away a signed copy of The Age-Well Project on our Instagram account, @agewellproject, so do throw your name in for a chance to win.

My top tip? Don’t worry. And never, ever, read Matthew Walker’s book Why We Sleep (although he has since apologised profusely).  It wasn’t only the words of Prof Hornberger that set my mind at rest. When I researched healthy nonagenarians and centenarians, I was relieved to find that many had suffered poor sleep all their lives. Merely knowing this stopped me worrying about not sleeping. And when I stopped worrying, guess what? I started sleeping…

I’m talking about all things walking at the wonderful Stratford Literary Festival this Sunday (14th November) if you’re around. Tickets here. Walking, incidentally, is excellent – and often overlooked – as a sleep aid. More to follow…

Annabel

 

  • Conditions: Dementia, Heart disease, Insomnia
« LOOK AFTER YOUR BLOOD-BRAIN BARRIER TO REDUCE ALZHEIMER’S RISK
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Comments

  1. Jane O'Donnell says

    November 12, 2021 at 12:41 pm

    I’m 74 and for all my adult life I’ve rarely sleep for longer than an hour and a half at a time. I often eat during the night as a way of getting back to sleep.
    If you are dreaming is this deep enough to clear amyloid plaques?

    Reply
    • Annabel Streets says

      November 13, 2021 at 9:16 am

      Hi Jane, it’s the deep slow-wave sleep that clears plaques (or so sleep experts think) while the REM (dreaming sleep) is good for our emotional health. I like to think of it as deep slow-wave sleep for the body and lighter dreaming sleep for the mind. We sleep in 90 minute cycles (which include both types of sleep, but the proportion shifts through the night, with more dreaming towards the end of the night and more of the body-repairing slow-wave sleep at the beginning of the night. So it sounds as if you are waking up having been through a full cycle of sleep. That’s good. At least your natural sleep cycles aren’t being interrupted…

      Reply
  2. Ruth Fishman says

    November 12, 2021 at 4:36 pm

    Oh this is great news! Thanks so much for sharing. I rarely get more than 7 hours and it’s usually around 6- 6 and a half but that is quite deep sleep. And what you said about Matthew Walker’s book! So true. I was so anxious after reading it , the year my mum died of Alzheimer’s, I had terrible insomnia! In fact I had to have some CBT to get me back on track.
    Really appreciate the research you are both sharing . It’s been very helpful for me.

    Reply
    • Annabel Streets says

      November 13, 2021 at 9:10 am

      Thank you, Ruth. Glad you’re finding the blog useful. If it’s any consolation, Matt Walker is endlessly apologetic about the damage his book did to light sleepers. Your current sleep sounds perfect! Glad the CBT worked – studies show its more effective than sleeping pills…

      Reply
      • Ruth Fishman says

        November 14, 2021 at 12:56 pm

        CBT and also lots of daily brisk walks!

        Reply
  3. Mary says

    November 12, 2021 at 9:47 pm

    Where can I find out more about ‘Walk in natural light within an hour of waking’.

    Reply
    • Annabel Streets says

      November 13, 2021 at 9:08 am

      Hi Mary, we covered it in our book and on our blog here: https://agewellproject.com/walking-appetite-purpose-and-a-webinar/

      It’s very simple. Always get outside within an hour of waking up in the morning – for at east ten minutes. If you can walk, great. If not, just get sunlight on your eyes. Good luck!

      Reply
      • Diana Studer says

        November 15, 2021 at 9:48 pm

        fits my – eat breakfast in the garden – unless the weather has other plans

        Reply
  4. Kate says

    November 26, 2021 at 2:53 pm

    The advice to fall asleep between 10-11 – does the time of waking matter?
    Also, any thoughts on using light therapy if the sun does not come out within an hour of waking where one lives?

    Reply
    • Annabel Streets says

      November 27, 2021 at 11:24 am

      I’ve just bought a SAD lamp and will be trialling in the Arctic, next week where there’s no sun. I’ll blog on whether it makes any difference! As with all things, we just need to try and find what suits our own body and rhythms.

      Reply
  5. Carla Clark says

    January 3, 2022 at 7:22 am

    I use sleep trackers (Fitbit and now Oura) and could see that even one glass of wine caused my resting heart rate to rise slightly at night and sleep quality was poorer. So, wine is now a rare indulgence. Sleep tracking has helped me make several small but beneficial changes.

    Reply
    • Annabel Streets says

      January 28, 2022 at 10:49 am

      That’s fascinating. Do let us know about any other beneficial changes… Thank you!

      Reply
  6. Baerbel Hamilton says

    March 3, 2022 at 7:22 pm

    Strange…I’ve never heard Dr Walker apologize for his book or it’s contents.
    Could you provide more detail or excerpts of when and what he said?
    Thank you.

    Reply
    • Annabel Streets says

      March 10, 2022 at 9:09 am

      No, he never apologised for his book which is very thorough and interesting – he has apologised on podcasts for contributing to ‘sleep anxiety’ – the condition of worrying so much about being unable to sleep and all its consequences (which he outlines with considerable force) that one cannot sleep. I hope that’s clear. We need to make sure we get sleep but fretting all night if we’re not sleeping is detrimental to our health – which he acknowledges. As do we!

      Reply

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  1. When to Fall Asleep - And for How Long! | lorrie graham says:
    December 1, 2021 at 3:01 pm

    […] from the fabulous site, The Age Well Project. This article The to Fall Asleep and for How Long written by by Annabel […]

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  2. Age-Well lessons from 2021 we're taking into 2022 - The Age-Well Project says:
    January 1, 2022 at 9:03 am

    […] at the University of Exeter have identified the optimal time to fall asleep for cardiovascular health: between 10pm and 11pm. Sounds sensible, but if you’re suffering from […]

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