Myths of Health, Sports and Nutrition –
Sleep Before Midnight – Is It Healthier Than After?
Monday, 5 February 2024
Autor: Dr. Bernd Gimbel, KörperManagement® KG
© Foto: IRINA, Adobe Stock
Note: translated with AI
Truth or myth? When it comes to certain topics about health, sport and nutrition, you probably ask yourself that from time to time. Our expert, Dr Gimbel, has the answers! In the fifth part of his series, he explains whether sleep before midnight is healthier than sleep after midnight.
Sleep is the most important regenerative process in life. Regardless of our work or lifestyle, we all need it to maintain our ability to work and perform—and thus our health. No other recovery measure can replace sleep.
Perhaps because of its importance, numerous statements and recommendations about sleep have developed over the years: we should sleep eight hours; our need for sleep decreases with age; going to bed early is important because sleep before midnight is the healthiest. But how much truth is there to these claims?
In this blog post, I would like to examine this topic from a scientific perspective so that, in the future, you can optimize your most important recovery process based on sound knowledge.
We “Sleep Away” One Third of Our Lives
Sleep is the foundation of our recovery. We work and sleep about eight hours a day. The remaining time is spent—depending on personal needs or obligations—on other, more or less enjoyable aspects of life. Regardless of lifestyle or profession, sleep remains the most important regenerative measure for all of us.
It is therefore all the more surprising that sleep behavior among employees in Germany is far from ideal. According to the 2022 employee study “How’s the Work – What Motivates and Burdens Employees in Germany,” conducted by Techniker Krankenkasse and the Institute for Corporate Health Consulting, 34.0% of female and 27.4% of male respondents reported noticeable sleep problems or even pronounced sleep disorders. The number increases with age and is strongly influenced by overall health and job satisfaction.
These figures clearly show that we should pay more attention to sleep in order to optimize our recovery. The approximately 25 to 30 years of our lives that we spend sleeping are not wasted time, but an essential requirement for staying healthy and capable of working.
The Importance of the Sleep-Wake Rhythm
The daily alternation between sleep and wakefulness (circadian rhythm) is linked to the light–dark cycle of the day. We are all subject to this recurring pattern. Disruptions to this rhythm increase the risk of illness. People who work shifts are particularly prone to such disruptions.
The pacemaker of the sleep-wake cycle is the suprachiasmatic nucleus, a part of the hypothalamus in the brain. Depending on light exposure, it regulates numerous bodily functions through various mechanisms, such as daily fluctuations in body temperature or blood pressure.
As it gets dark, sensory cells in the eye detect the decreasing light and inform the hypothalamus. Various brain centers, in cooperation with the pineal gland, then signal the body to reduce activity. Muscles begin to relax, and the body senses that its energy is declining—it is time to rest. A key role in this process is played by the hormone melatonin, which is produced by the pineal gland.
Most people have experienced staying up all night and know how unpleasant the following day can be. Older individuals may also notice that recovery takes longer with age. Regardless of age, this is because your circadian rhythm becomes unbalanced when you turn night into day.
Sleep Properly (and Well)
To stay “in sync,” you should align yourself with your natural biological daily rhythm. This is especially true for sleep—but it does not mean that you must go to bed before midnight to get sufficient rest.
Current sleep research shows that the exact bedtime does not determine sleep quality. What matters for recovery is getting enough deep sleep. The deepest stages of sleep occur in the first two to four hours and therefore provide the greatest restorative benefit. It is also crucial to meet your personal sleep requirement, which for most people lies between seven and nine hours.
Even in older age, the need for sleep remains the same. However, people often sleep less because their sleep patterns change: sleep phases become shorter, sleep becomes more easily disturbed, and people tend to wake earlier.
If you occasionally don’t get enough sleep at night, a short nap during the day is recommended—ideally as a power nap of about 25 minutes, without entering deep sleep. This way, your sleep rhythm will not be disrupted the following night.
However, if you experience persistent sleep problems, I recommend seeking professional help as soon as possible to identify the causes and address them promptly.
I wish you deep, restful sleep so that your regeneration works optimally!
Yours,
Dr Bernd Gimbel
KörperManagement®
Dr Bernd Gimbel is a partner of KörperManagement® KG. He has worked as a research associate for the Federal Committee for Elite Sport at the German Olympic Sports Confederation. He is currently a lecturer at the German Fitness Teachers Academy and the Cooperative State University for Sport and Health in Baunatal. In addition, Dr Gimbel is the author of several books on body management.
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