What is the best time for sleeping?

The best time to sleep is from 10 PM to 6 AM, for a total of 8 hours of sleep. Our body is regulated by hormonal activities. Stimulating hormones such as cortisol are released in the morning to help us get going. As the day progresses, the level of these hormones tapers down, and at night, the level of resting and nurturing hormones becomes higher. The growth hormone, which is essential for physical healing, reaches its peak from 10 PM to 2 AM. Sleeping during this time period maximizes the effect of the growth hormone and helps repair physical damage.

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From 2 AM to 6 AM, the focus is on psychogenic repair, nurturing the nervous and hormonal systems. Therefore, going to bed at 10 PM and getting up at 6 AM is optimal for overall health.

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If you miss the optimal time period for sleeping, your body may not be able to achieve the necessary physical and mental healing. This is a reason why people who work the graveyard shift may feel groggy even if they manage to get 8 hours of sleep. This is because they are unable to take advantage of the ideal window for sleep, which can affect the quality of their rest.

 

 

What if it doesn't fit your schedule?

Sleeping from 10 PM to 6 AM may not fit your schedule. Life is busy. You may have a swing shift or kids to take care of. Knowing the best sleep time can be still helpful, but if you're unable to arrange your schedule accordingly, here are some tips to help you get the rest you need. Firstly, sleep for 7-8 hours anyway, at any time that fits your schedule. Secondly, if you're unable to get the recommended 7 to 8 hours of sleep at night, make sure to have some nap times. Aim for a nap that is 20-30 minutes in length. If it's longer than that, it will affect sleep quality at night.     

 

Less sleep affects your health

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It is still essential to consider changing your lifestyle to sleep for 8 hours from 10 PM to 6 AM. In the long run, the lack of sleep would cause health issues because of the accumulated unhealed physical and psychological damage. Many medical studies conclude that sleeping less than 7 hours affects health in various aspects such as cardiovascular, endocrine, immune, and nervous systems.

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If you have persistent chronic pain, unhealed injuries, chronic fatigue, frequent headaches, or a foggy head, you would feel much better by optimizing your sleep schedule.

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One of my clinic patients had stubborn chronic neck pain and tightness with frequent severe headaches. She had no particular injuries, but she had bad posture, limited mobility of the spine, severely tight neck muscles, and weakness of her postural stabilizer muscles. Though she achieved good posture, full mobility, and normal strength with therapy, she still experienced pain. She felt better after each treatment with massage, but the pain kept returning. She was a nurse and had a 12-hour swing shift, and occasionally a 24-hour shift. We had a long conversation, and I was able to persuade her to improve her sleep schedule. She still kept the same job, but she started sleeping for at least 7 to 8 hours consecutively. Her pain and headaches significantly reduced. To become entirely healthy, she would need to change her sleep schedule to sleep from 10 PM to 6 AM.

  

             

Change your sleep schedule for good!

First, it is best to know the ideal time for sleeping, which is from 10 PM to 6 AM. If you can manage to do it, that would be great! You will be able to maximize the healing potential to repair physical and psychological damage due to the peak level of growth hormone during this period.

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Frankly speaking, changing your habits is difficult. If it's challenging for you, try your best first. If you are a night owl and go to bed way past midnight, you may start by sleeping by midnight. As you start realizing the benefits of sleeping more, you may be more motivated to do better.

 

Secondly, it's best to consider building a healthy lifestyle. Our body likes regular scheduling. Going to bed at a specific time, waking up at a particular time, and eating meals at specific times are good practices. It's best to set plans around your sleep and meal schedule.

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It is essential to know that your body may be different from others due to your genetic makeup, and you may need to fine-tune your sleeping schedule. For most people, eight hours of sleep is ideal. Some people may need more, and others may need less. A good estimation is eight hours +/- one hour (seven to nine hours).

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More is not better

For repairing daily physical and psychological damage and refreshing your body and mind, sound sleep is essential. You may think that more sleep is better, but if you sleep longer, it simply means you are awake less. Your activity level goes down, and your metabolism will decrease. Then, you would suffer symptoms of not enough activities, such as chronic fatigue, obesity, losing muscle tone, weakness, poor circulation (cold hands or feet), constipation, and so on. Having a good balance of resting and being active is key.

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However, if you are recovering from a significant injury or surgery or a disease, you may need to sleep more to maximize healing. When you are sick or suffering from the flu, you would usually feel sleepy. Your body

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For repairing daily physical and psychological damage and refreshing your body and mind, good sound sleeping is important.  You would think more sleeping is better.  The answer is no.  If you sleep longer, that simply means you are awake less.  Your activity level goes down.  Your metabolism will go down.  Then, you would suffer symptoms of not enough activities, such as chronic fatigue, obesity, losing muscle tone, weakness, poor circulation (cold hands or feet), constipation, and so on.  Having a good balance of resting and being active is key.  

 

However, if you are recovering from a major injury, surgery, or illness, you may need to sleep more to maximize your healing. When you are sick or suffering from the flu, you usually feel sleepy. Your body wants you to sleep so that the healing process can take place, and your body can fight the infection. Similarly, after a heavy workout, you may feel sleepy the following day. This is because your body needs time to repair and recover from the physical stress of the exercise. In such cases, it is important to listen to your body and give some extra hours of sleep for healing and recovering properly.

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Get ready for good sleep

It is recommended to have dinner at least 4 hours before bedtime. Digestion takes a lot of effort, and it requires around 4 hours for the body to process the food you eat. Sleeping with a full stomach can cause the body to expend a lot of energy on digestion, even after you go to bed, which can negatively affect sleep quality.

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After dinner, it's essential to relax. Dimming the lights is preferable as bright light can stimulate the body. It's also recommended to avoid using devices such as smartphones, tablets, and computers, as they emit blue light that can stimulate the body just like sunlight. Lessening stimulants towards bedtime is a good idea.

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Here are some things you can do an hour before bedtime:

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• Turn off the TV and avoid using smartphones, tablets, and computers at least an hour before bedtime.

• Do relaxing exercises such as gentle stretching.

• Take a hot shower or use a footbath before going to bed.

• Listen to relaxing music, but make sure not to look at the screen.

• Practice diaphragmatic breathing or meditation.

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Making these activities a ritual for going to bed is a good idea. By doing these things regularly, your body and mind will get used to them, and you will start to like them. Our bodies and minds tend to like regular routines. Eventually, you can condition yourself so that practicing these things will trigger you to be ready for sleep.

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If you suffer from current health issues that interrupt sleeping  

If you have health issues that prevent you from sleeping, such as severe pain, restless leg syndrome, heartburn, GERD, sleep apnea, or severe insomnia, you need to seek proper medical treatment. Otherwise, poor sleeping from those conditions can lead to further health issues.   

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Sleeping well is important but not enough

Having good sleep is essential for improving your health and wellness. If you are not currently sleeping enough or the timing of your sleep is off, improving your sleep quality will significantly benefit your health. A foundation of health can be established from good sleep, proper diet, adequate exercise, and enjoying your life. Please read the related articles below to learn how to become healthy and happy!