Falling asleep too early is a symptom of Advanced Phase Sleep Disorder, and it often goes hand-in-hand with Sleep Maintenance Insomnia. Both are problems that disrupt your sleep cycle and affect the quality of sleep.
People may fall asleep early because of something else, like depression, alcohol use or sleep apnea. Or they may nap during the day, which makes them wake early in the morning. So, we screen for depression and mood disorders, eliminate daytime napping or treat them for sleep apnea.
Sleeping early or late, the study said, adversely affects the body's internal clock or what is known as 'circadian rhythm' — a natural process that regulates sleep-wake circle — and certain metabolic processes.
When you are sleeping, your body works towards repairing your blood vessels, heart, and brain in order to prevent you from these chronic diseases. If you do not get enough sleep, these organs start deteriorating, leading to major health issues.
If your school or work schedule requires you to be up between 5:00 and 7:00 a.m., these are the suggested bedtimes: School-age children should go to bed between 8:00 and 9:00 p.m. Teens should try to go to bed between 9:00 and 10:00 p.m. Adults should try to go to sleep between 10:00 and 11:00 p.m.
“There is no such thing as a “fixed or ideal time” to go to bed which will suit all individuals. It is generally advisable to fall asleep between 10 pm to midnight as for most people this is when the circadian rhythm is at a point that favours falling asleep.”
Sleep needs decrease when we get older
The study revealed that bedtimes become earlier as age increases: 20–24 year olds go to sleep on average at 12:20 a.m. while people over 65 go to bed at 11:23 p.m., nearly 1 hour earlier.
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.
Memory levels, the ability to mentally focus and a happier state, will lead to high levels of productivity following a good night's sleep. With society geared around an early start, it makes sense to get to bed at an early hour, rise early and seize the day.
The Best Time to Sleep Is Between 8 p.m. and Midnight
To align our sleep schedules with our body's natural cycles (our circadian rhythms), adults should go to bed when it's dark out, after 8 p.m. We also get deeper, more restorative sleep when our sleep time begins before midnight.
Another downside of going to bed too early is that it can cause problematic sleep conditioning. This occurs when you teach your brain to associate arousing activities with the act of laying down in bed.
If you're a late riser, going to bed earlier and waking up earlier may protect against depression. You can incorporate sleep hygiene tips into your daily routine. This can include being consistent with your sleep schedule and making sure your room is quiet and relaxing before bed.
For most adults their body clock makes them feel sleepy between the hours of 11pm to 7am and alert at other times, including the early evening (6-9 pm) and morning hours (8-11 am).
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.
Insufficient levels of sleep and circadian misalignment can disrupt many bodily processes, putting us at increased risk of cardiovascular disease, cancer, and diabetes.”
An ongoing lack of sleep has been closely associated with hypertension, heart attacks and strokes, obesity, diabetes, depression and anxiety, decreased brain function, memory loss, weakened immune system, lower fertility rates and psychiatric disorders.
0-2 years old: should go to sleep between 8:00 and 9:00 pm. 3-5 years old: should go to sleep between 7:00 and 8:00 pm. 6-12 years old: should go to sleep between 7:30 and 8:30 pm. 13-18 years old: should go to sleep around 10:00 pm.
“Women's brains are wired differently, so their sleep need will be slightly greater. Women tend to multi-task—they do lots at once and are flexible, and so they use more of their actual brain than men do,” Horne says.