What's the
Best Time to Sleep and Wake Up?
When to go
to sleep
Circadian
rhythm
How much to
sleep
Lack of
sleep side effects
Too much
sleep side effects
Best time to
go to sleep
Summary
In an “ideal” world, you’d have the luxury of going to bed
early and then waking up early, all rested for a productive day ahead.
But some commitments, like job duties or child care, can
make it difficult to adhere to the “early to bed, early to rise” philosophy.
There are perhaps two important aspects to consider when it
comes to sleep: the amount of sleep you get and the consistency in time.
Going to bed while it’s dark can ensure you get enough rest
while also making it easier to fall asleep. It’s also important to get the
right amount of sleep on a regular basis to help prevent potential health
consequences.
If you’re looking for advice for your own sleep schedule,
consider the following guidelines for ideal sleep.
Best
sleeping hours
Ideally, people ought to go to bed earlier and wake up in
the early morning hours. This pattern matches our biological tendencies to
adapt our sleep pattern with that of the sun. You might find that you’re naturally
sleepier after sundown.
The exact time depends on when you tend to wake up in the
morning. Another consideration is the amount of sleep you need per night.
How our circadian rhythm works
Circadian rhythm is a term to describe your brain’s natural
sleep-wake schedule. It’s like our internal clock.
Everyone experiences natural dips in alertness and increased
wakefulness during certain times in a 24-hour period. People are most likely to
be at their sleepiest at two points: between 1 p.m. and 3 p.m. and between 2
a.m. and 4 a.m.
The better the quality of sleep you get, the less likely you
are to experience significant daytime sleepiness.
Circadian rhythm also dictates your natural bedtime and
morning wakeup schedules. Once you get used to going to bed and waking up at
the same time each day, your brain adapts to this schedule.
Eventually, you might find yourself going to bed easily at
night and waking up right before your alarm clock without any issues.
Your circadian rhythm may be off-balance if you work
irregular shifts or go to bed at different times throughout the week. This can
result in periods of daytime sleepiness.
How much
sleep do we need?
Most experts recommend that adults get at least 7 hours of
sleep per night. Here’s a breakdownTrusted Source of the average amount of
sleep you should get by age:
Age Recommended amount of sleep
0–3 months 14–17 hours total
4–12 months 12–16 hours total
1–2 years 11–14 hours total
3–5 years 10–13 hours total
9–12 years 9–12 hours total
13–18 years 8–10 hours total
18–60 years at least 7 hours per night
61–64 years 7–9 hours per night
65 years and older 7–8 hours per night
Side
effects of not getting enough sleep
If you experience daytime sleepiness, it’s a sign that
you’re not getting enough sleep at night. You might also experience accidents,
irritability, and forgetfulness.
Not getting enough sleep on a regular basis can also lead to
more long-term health consequences. These include:
·
getting
sick more often
·
high
blood pressure (hypertension)
·
diabetes
·
heart
disease
·
obesity
·
depression
Side
effects of getting too much sleep
While the side effects of not getting enough sleep have long
been established, researchers are now investigating the health consequences
associated with too much sleep.
You might be sleeping too much if you find yourself needing
more than 8 to 9 hours of sleep on a regular basis, and perhaps needing naps on
top of this amount.
Sleeping too much can lead to many of the same side effects
as sleeping too little, including:
depression
irritability
cardiovascular issues
However, such effects may not always be attributed to the
act of sleeping too much itself. The excess sleep you require might instead be
a sign of a related underlying health condition.
Some of the possibilities include:
anxiety
depression
sleep apnea
Parkinson’s disease
diabetes
heart disease
obesity
thyroid disorders
asthma
When should
I go to sleep?
The best time to go to sleep at night is a time frame in
which you can achieve the recommended sleep recommendation for your age group.
You can figure out the best bedtime for your schedule based
on when you have to wake up in the morning and counting backward by 7 hours
(the recommended minimumTrusted Source per night for adults).
For example, if you need to be up by 6 a.m., you should
consider winding down before 11 p.m.
Another key is to figure out a sleep schedule you can stick
with every single night — even on weekends. Staying up late and sleeping in on
the weekends can make it difficult for you to get back on track during the
workweek.
Takeaway
Overall, it’s best to go to bed earlier in the night and
wake up early each day. Still, this type of sleep schedule may not work for
everyone.
It’s far more important to make sure you get enough sleep
and that it’s good quality sleep. You can ensure this happens by going to bed
and waking up at the same time every day.
Talk to a doctor if you’re having trouble falling asleep at
night, or if you continue to experience daytime sleepiness despite sticking
with a consistent bedtime schedule. This could indicate issues with sleep
quality, which could warrant further investigation.
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