This is the best time to go to bed to stay healthy as you age
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Contrary to popular belief, an early bedtime doesn’t necessarily equal better health. Here’s the best time to pack in that deep sleep.
By Polly Dunbar
We all know that after a bad night’s sleep, we feel below par the next day, with our energy, mood and ability to concentrate all impacted. But over longer periods, poor sleep can have serious long-term implications for our cognitive health, increasing our risk of dementia.
A growing body of research has linked sleep problems with the brain disease, including a study by University College London and the French National Institute of Health and Medical Research (Inserm) which found that people getting six hours of sleep or less in midlife were 30% more likely to be diagnosed with dementia than those getting seven hours or more.
Scientists believe the reason is that sleeping fewer hours means getting less deep sleep. During this phase of our sleep, our brains are believed to go through a process of ‘deep washing’, clearing out toxins whic...
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