“Thirty or 40 years of professional life aren't going to change them.” When it comes to bedtime, he says there's a window of several hours—roughly between 8 PM and 12 AM—during which your brain and body have the opportunity to get all the non-REM and REM shuteye they need to function optimally.
Turning in before midnight is good for our health.
Some studies have found that people who go to bed late and have trouble waking up in the morning are more likely to have a shortened lifespan, in addition to a much higher risk of psychological disorders and diabetes.
According to a new study, the best time to sleep is from 10pm to 4am. People going to bed before 10 or after 11 are at greater risk for heart disease, compared to the average person. In this timeframe people have a 25-percent lower chance of developing heart disease than those who fall asleep after midnight.
This all depends upon how late, and how regular, a person's sleep patterns are. For example, falling to sleep at 4 am and waking at 12 pm will cause a person to miss out on a large amount of daylight, especially in winter. This can be problematic for various reasons, including our physical and emotional health.
Take the time you plan to wake up (say, 6 a.m.) and subtract the recommended 7 to 9 hours of sleep (which is around 9 to 11 p.m. the night before). This is your bedtime ballpark.
Waking up at 4:00 am might be great for your to-do list, but if it's causing you to lose out on sleep, it's going to do more harm than good. Consistent too-early wake-up times are often a sign that something is awry, whether it's your lifestyle or a sleep disorder.
The rising cortisol levels around 3 AM or 4 AM with emotional sorting by the brain are probable causes why you wake up around the same time every day. It is normal to wake up at the same time every night, provided there is no serious underlying cause, and you have no trouble falling back to sleep.
If you wake up at 6am, to get 7-9 hours of sleep you should be going to bed between 9pm and 11pm.
If you wake up early feeling alert, should you just get up? It depends how early it is. If it is 3am, you should do your best to get back to sleep because if you don't, you're likely to feel tired and irritable later.
The Best Time to Wake Up Depends on You
A 4 AM wake-up time will be good for you in the same way that an 8 AM wake-up time is. As long as you get enough restful sleep, you shouldn't worry about the best time to wake up. Whenever you wake up will already be the best time to start your day.
Daily rhythm helps our subconscious know when its time to slow down and get some sleep. Chaotic hours are likely to lead to sleep issues. The best hours for regenerative sleep for most people are between 10pm and 2am, so getting to bed before 10 can make a difference, although this varies between individuals.
Aging and circadian rhythm changes
The circadian rhythm is our body's internal clock that regulates sleep-wake cycles. Factors such as decreased melatonin production and increased sensitivity to external stimuli can contribute to waking up around 3 am.
“Getting to bed around 9.30-10pm is optimal and it is one of the non-negotiables in my sleep protocol,” says sleep expert Dr Nerina Ramlakhan. When we are well rested, our anxiety reduces, mental focus improves, and exercise feels easier. There are long-term benefits to early nights, too.
Some experts say yes. For starters, getting up earlier can improve confidence, Snowden says, because it can feel like an accomplishment. And there's something to be said for not constantly feeling like you're in a rush, which only elevates stress levels and negatively impacts mental health.
All in all, waking up at 3 a.m. may just be a symptom of stress, one too many glasses of water before bed or loud noises outside. But if these wake-up calls become frequent and you can't pinpoint a reason, it may be worth investigating why that invisible alarm is going off in your head.
“Everyone wakes up multiple times per night,” says Wu. “It's very common for people to wake up around 2 or 3 a.m. because this is when our sleep architecture (the pattern of our sleep stage cycles throughout the night) naturally has a shift from more deep sleep to more REM sleep.
Research on circadian rhythm have shown that sleeping from 10pm to 6 am gives the best results in terms of productivity and vitality. The light has a key role.
Go to bed at the same time each night and get up at the same time each morning, including on the weekends. Make sure your bedroom is quiet, dark, relaxing, and at a comfortable temperature. Remove electronic devices, such as TVs, computers, and smart phones, from the bedroom.
6am is the perfect time to wake up in the morning. You have enough time to get ready for your day without feeling rushed, and you can still enjoy a peaceful morning. If you're not a morning person, it can be tough to wake up early.