Continuous sleep also encourages the cardiovascular system to “down-regulate” and reset at night, which ultimately supports good cardiovascular health, W. Christopher Winter, MDneurologist and sleep medicine physician at Charlottesville Neurology and Sleep Medicine, tells SELF.
According to Dr. Winter, an irregular bedtime and sleep schedule can also throw off many of the factors associated with good heart health. “Irregular sleep timing is closely related to erratic exercise, erratic eating, etc., and this inconsistency can wildly disrupt metabolism, cognition, mood, endocrine function, neurological processing, and yes, cardiovascular health,” he says.
Ultimately, “it’s not just how long you sleep, but how consistent your sleep timing is, in a very real, physiological way,” says Dr. Sobti. “Your circadian rhythm doesn’t need perfection, it needs consistency,” he adds.
How to set (and stick to) a bedtime.
Everyone’s ideal bedtime is different, so Dr. Malow recommends listening to your body when figuring out the perfect bedtime. “Go to bed when you feel tired,” she says. “Trying to go to bed too early can make your body too alert.” And of course, if you go to bed too late, you end up with poor sleep.
You can also start with your usual wake-up time and work your way back if your schedule allows, says Dr. Winter. “Make it consistent,” he says. “From there, seven to eight hours of work back is probably a good starting point for bedtime.”
Dr. Malow recommends not drinking caffeine or alcohol in the evening, or using screens too close to bedtime — all of which can disrupt sleep.
Ultimately, Dr. Malow recommends making a point of establishing a bedtime that works for you and sticking to it. “Do your best to have a consistent bedtime, even if you have to deviate from it a few nights,” she says. Dr. Winter agrees. “It’s not about being perfect, it’s about being better than you were before,” she says.
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