What is the best bedtime for a restful night’s sleep?

New study: This is the best bedtime

The fact that good sleep is important for our health and well-being should not come as a surprise. But many people feel tired all day or have difficulties getting up in the morning. If this sounds familiar to you and you have trouble falling asleep, you may be going to bed at the wrong time. What if, thanks to the perfect bedtime, you could leave this unpleasant state behind from now on? Going to bed at the right time usually makes it easier to get a good night's sleep and to get up more easily in the morning. So, what is the deal with the magic time of 10:37 pm? In a new study, the British fashion and home company "George Home" asked 1,000 participants about their sleeping habits and found out that this time comes pretty close to the ideal bedtime. Those who go to bed at this time and try falling asleep should automatically get enough sleep, wake up more easily in the morning (ideally at 7:19 am) and feel more relaxed during the day and satisfied overall. 

Why the right bedtime is only half the battle

You haven‘t yet found a suitable bedtime for yourself? Then you can try the British formula for the perfect night's sleep, of course. But if you want to fall asleep easier and wake up well rested in the morning, the right bedtime is only half the battle. The survey was not only revealing regarding the right bedtime. A less pleasant result of the survey: couples who share a sleeping place argue on average at least twice a week because of their different sleeping needs and preferred room temperature. While she is too cold, he sweats at night. According to the British survey, an incredible 45% of all men admitted to secretly opening the window at night while their partner was asleep! Another odd finding: one in four went to sleep in everyday clothes and didn’t change into pyjamas to keep warm at night. Apart from the perfect bedtime and enough hours of sleep, it seems to be important to negotiate a good compromise with your sleeping partner and to ensure a pleasant sleeping climate.

Adults also benefit from a fixed bedtime

You think a fixed bedtime is only for children and babies? Far from it! Going to bed at the same time and getting up at a fixed time in the morning - even on weekends – supports a healthy lifestyle. Using the sleep patterns of 2,000 adults, Researchers at Duke University Medical Center have shown that a regular bedtime can protect you against stress, obesity and cardiovascular disease. In contrast, participants who went to bed at different times were more likely to be overweight and to suffer from high blood sugar and blood pressure. The risk of serious diseases such as heart attack and stroke was also significantly higher in this group. So with a fixed bedtime, you will get healthier sleep, increase your general well-being and do something good for your body, too! 

The appropriate sleep duration by age

If you want to find the right bedtime for you, you should also know the optimal duration of a good night's rest. How much sleep a person needs is something that can only be answered on an individual basis. However, age can be a good guide to determine the ideal sleep duration. 

Babies and children 

Perhaps you are familiar with this from your children or children in your environment: a baby sleeps an incredible amount in the early days. Newborns need up to 17 hours of sleep a day - no wonder, since everything is new to them and they process what they have experienced during sleep. 

As the little ones get older, the amount of sleep they need decreases. Kindergarten children usually need between 10 and 13 hours of sleep per night, while 9 to 11 hours are usually enough for school-age children. 

Adults  

For adults, the average duration of night-time sleep is eight hours. From now on and until reaching senior age, the sleep requirement usually remains unchanged. However, the optimal length of sleep can vary from person to person. While one person may feel rested after just six hours, another may need nine hours of sleep per night to get going. The easiest way to find out how much sleep you actually need is through trial and error - watching your body and what signals it sends you.  

Seniors 

The older we get, the less sleep we seem to need: seniors often wake up after only five to six hours of sleep. This means they are awake early - but fatigue often sets in during the afternoon. It is thus not uncommon for older people to take a quick nap in the middle of the day. This allows the body to recharge its batteries to cope with the rest of the day until the evening. Therefore, taking a break in between is not a bad idea!

How to find your own sleep rhythm

Do you want to know if you have already found your individual sleep rhythm? With our checklist you can check some of the factors that make up a wholesome bedtime and healthy sleeping pattern:

• In the morning you feel rested and full of energy
• During the day your energy level is constant, and you do not suddenly feel tired
• You only need 15 to 20 minutes to fall asleep
• You don’t have trouble sleeping through the night
• You sleep between seven and nine hours a night
• You wake up just before your alarm clock

Our tip: If you feel that you haven't found the perfect sleeping rhythm for you yet, simply shift your bedtime by 15 minutes every few days until you wake up just before your alarm. It is important that you keep the same bedtime for three or four days so that your body can adjust.