Consistent sleep also encourages your cardiovascular system to “downregulate” and reset at night, which ultimately supports good cardiovascular health, W. Christopher Winter, MD, a neurologist and sleep medicine physician with Charlottesville Neurology and Sleep Medicine, tells SELF.
Having an irregular bedtime and sleep schedule can also throw off a range of elements linked to good heart health, Dr. Winter says. “Irregular sleep timing is closely tied with irregular exercise, irregular eating, etc., and that inconsistency can wildly disrupt metabolism, cognitive abilities, mood, endocrine functioning, neurological processing, and yes, cardiovascular health,” he says.
Ultimately, “it’s not just about how long you sleep, but how consistent your sleep timing is in a very real, physiologic way,” Dr. Sobti says. “Your circadian rhythm doesn’t need perfection; it needs consistency,” she adds.
How to set (and stick to) a bedtime.
Everyone’s ideal bedtime is slightly different, which is why Dr. Malow recommends listening to your body when it comes to figuring out the perfect bedtime for you. “Go to bed when you are feeling tired,” she says. “If you try to go to bed too early, your body may be too alert.” And, of course, if you go to bed too late, you’ll end up shortchanging your sleep.
You can also start with a standard wake time and work your way backward, if your schedule allows, Dr. Winter says. “Make that consistent,” he says. “Working back seven to eight hours from there is probably a good place to start in terms of a bedtime.”
While you’re at it, Dr. Malow recommends being careful of having caffeine or alcohol in the evening, or using screens too close to bedtime—all of those can throw your sleep out of whack.
Ultimately, Dr. Malow suggests just making it a point to create and stick with a bedtime that works for you. “Do your best to choose a consistent bedtime, even if you have to deviate from it some nights,” she says. Dr. Winter agrees. “It’s not about being perfect, but rather being better than you were before,” he says.
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