Recently, there have been news of sudden death by staying up late from time to time.
Nowadays, staying up late has become a major health problem. Some experts said that the time to fall asleep should not be later than 23:00.
However, in this fast-paced society, even most young people can’t fall asleep before 24 o’clock.
They believe that no matter whether you go to bed early or go to bed late, as long as you get enough sleep for 8 hours, you won’t be able to stay up late.
In fact, this sentence is very wrong. Today I will talk about why.
Why don’t you go to bed later than 23:00?
Nature’s circadian rhythm controls the biological clock of various physiological processes such as sleep and hormone secretion. People’s sleep rhythm must be in line with nature’s circadian rhythm, so that eating and drinking are regular and daily life is regular.
Increased light at night inhibits the secretion of melatonin
Melatonin is a dark hormone whose secretion has a distinct circadian rhythm. After nightfall, the secretion of melatonin increases, and after about 23:00, the secretion accelerates, reaches a peak between 2:00 and 4:00 in the middle of the night, and gradually decreases in the second half of the night.
In fact, melatonin is very sensitive to light, and the blue light emitted by cell phones and other electronic devices can delay the secretion of melatonin. A lack of melatonin can make it difficult to fall asleep, which can lead to insomnia over time. Research has also shown that blue light can reduce the duration of slow-wave sleep and REM sleep. Both sleep stages are important for consolidating memories and regulating emotions. The sleep time required by people is about 8 hours, and the time to receive light in the morning is about 7 o’clock, so the time to fall asleep should not be later than 23 o’clock.
Going to bed late can lead to delayed sleep phases
Delayed sleep phases are night owls who go to bed late and wake up late. Delayed sleep phases lead to gut dysbiosis, increased cortisol secretion, and insulin resistance, thereby increasing the risk of obesity and type 2 diabetes.
Especially for people with a family history of diabetes, staying up late often increases the risk of developing diabetes. Sleeping late leads to a decrease in leptin secretion and an increase in ghrelin secretion. When you don’t get enough sleep, your brain’s reward system is more likely to be stimulated by foods high in fat and carbohydrates. This is why people tend to have a strong appetite when they stay up late and eat more high-fat and high-carbohydrate foods.
Sleeping late can lead to insufficient vitamin D production
Reduced light exposure during the day leads to insufficient production of vitamin D and reduced secretion of melatonin. Vitamin D can help regulate the body’s biological clock, which has a great relationship with people’s mood and sleep.
Sleeping late damages the body’s immune system
Staying up late for a long time will lead to lack of sleep, damage the body’s immune system, and increase the risk of various diseases. Chronic sleep deprivation can trigger amyloid beta protein deposits in the brain, which may lead to Alzheimer’s disease (senile dementia).
If I go to bed at one or two in the morning every day,
How many days will it take to die suddenly?
It’s unclear how long a person can survive without sleep, but the current world record is 266 hours.
In 1964, a high school student named Randy Gardner in California, USA, conducted a sleep deprivation experiment. He did not sleep for 266 hours (11 days). In his final days, Gardner developed severe psychotic symptoms, hallucinations, and memory loss. By the end of the 11 days, Gardner’s memory had dropped to just one minute.
If a person does not sleep for 24 hours, memory, concentration, judgment, hand-eye coordination will decline, and they will become very emotional.
If you don’t sleep for 48 hours, the body begins to compensate by microsleep, that is, you will fall asleep no matter what activities you engage in, but the time of microsleep is very short, and you are not even aware of the occurrence of microsleep. That is, even if you’re driving on the highway, you can fall asleep without even knowing you’re asleep. At this time, the brain is slow to respond, often gets stuck, and cannot concentrate.
Absence of sleep for 72 hours can manifest as significant cognitive impairment and hallucinations.
Staying up late every day and sleep disorders such as sleep apnea, insomnia, restless legs syndrome, etc., can lead to insufficient sleep time. Chronic sleep deprivation can damage nerves, circulation, digestion, the immune system and metabolism, increasing the risk of serious diseases such as obesity, high blood pressure, heart disease and diabetes. Recent studies suggest that sleep deprivation and circadian rhythm disturbance can lead to intestinal barrier dysfunction and intestinal flora dysbiosis, leading to the accumulation of intestinal reactive oxygen species, causing oxidative stress and cell damage, which in turn induces sudden death.
Are you excited to play with your phone for 8 minutes before going to bed for more than an hour?
After a busy day during the day, when I go to bed at night, I can’t bear to sleep. I lie in bed and watch short videos, chat with friends, and play games. This is called “retaliatory bedtime procrastination”.
It refers to the decision to sacrifice sleep for leisure time because there is no free time in daily life. Retaliatory bedtime procrastination can directly lead to reduced sleep time and negatively impact mental and physical health.
A survey in the United States found that using a smartphone for 8 minutes before going to bed took an average of 1 hour to fall asleep. Of course, this data does not apply to everyone, and this takesDepends on the intensity of blue light emitted by the smartphone, the content you browse, and your sleep characteristics.
How to fall asleep properly before going to bed?
1. Put down your phone 1-2 hours before going to bed. If you are afraid of missing a call, you can mute your phone. Don’t bring your phone to the bedroom, leaving it by the bed can make you swipe at your phone before going to bed or when you wake up at night.
2. Place a small alarm clock by the bedside to replace the morning call function of the mobile phone.
3. Keep a regular bedtime and wake-up time, and don’t sleep in on non-working days. Avoid alcohol or caffeine at night.
4. Learn to relax, such as reading, meditating, or stretching. Relaxation can also reduce stress, which can lead to retaliatory bedtime procrastination.
5. Create a good sleeping environment. Comfortable mattresses and bedding, warm and soft lighting all make people want to sleep, and avoid excessive artificial light 2 hours before going to bed.