Going to bed later than this time is hurting your health: Study

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For representational use [Image: Clevelandclinic]
For representational use [Image: Clevelandclinic]

New Delhi : The proverb of "early to bed, early to rise," promising health, wealth, and wisdom, may feel pretty simplistic. But doctors have been backing the advantages of a good night's rest for a healthy body. 

Now, a recent study has proven that sleeping early can at keep you healthy. The research, which was published in the journal BMJ Open Diabetes Research&Care, proved that if you are still going to bed past midnight, you could actually be hurting your health.

The researchers recorded the exact time at which type 2 diabetes patients went to bed every night. The results showed that 25 percent of the subjects got to bed at 10:52 p.m. on average, while 23 percent were staying up until 12:36 a.m. on average. Despite being a somewhat subtle shift in sleep time—about an hour and 45 minutes—the researchers noticed a huge difference in lifestyles between the groups, says a report in BestLife.

The researchers drew the conclusion that night owls were simply less likely to seize the morning opportunity to work out—and therefore lead less healthy lifestyles. "The links between later sleep times and physical activity are clear: go to bed late and you're less likely to be active," study co-author Alex Rowlands, MD, of the University of South Australia added.

There's no shortage of scientific evidence backing up the benefits of an earlier bedtime. One study found that sleeping even 15 minutes less a night could lead to considerable weight gain thanks to a boost in late-night snacking and the hunger hormone ghrelin. And other research has found that getting in your eight hours at a reasonable time can lower your anxiety levels and boost your immune system.

Sleep experts recommend that you put your phone down an hour before bedtime, stop eating three hours before you go to bed.