Viva Challenge: go to bed by 10 pm nightly
This week’s challenge sounds really easy but in reality, I think it’s rather difficult to achieve for some of us because of our busy lifestyles. In fact, most of you are probably thinking that it doesn’t matter what time you sleep as long as you achieve 8 hours of rest right? Well, unfortunately no. There is an optimal time to sleep which I’ve written about before which is between 11 pm to 3 am but I later found out that it’s even better to sleep by 10 pm. Why?
Melatonin the sleep hormone
According to Marie-Veronique Nadeau in her book The Yoga Facelift, this is the time when melatonin, the great antioxidant which is also known as the sleep hormone, makes its rounds around the body, scooping up free radicals and repairing damage. WebMD also has an article on this topic which specifically indicates that we should go to bed at 10 pm because our body was designed to sync with the cycles of nature – including daylight and darkness – with the optimal time for sleep falling between 10 pm and 6 am.
No quality sleep after midnight
Another article takes Benjamin Franklin’s saying “early to bed and early to rise makes a man healthy, wealthy, and wise” further by stating that one is likely to feel more refreshed with 5 hours of sleep between 10 pm and 3 am than with 5 (or more) hours sleep that do not begin until 3 am. This is the reason why we still feel tired despite sleeping between 8 and 10 hours when we go to bed much later than 10 pm.
So Viva Woman challenge you to go to bed by 10 pm if you really want to slow down aging as well as look good and feel good all round. Yes, be a sleeping beauty and get to bed early!
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OH no, I don’t think I can do this challenge! 11pm is hard for me! LOL I sleep around 12am earliest everyday, and my eyes are paying for my bad habit!
Nikki: I know…this sounds easy but it’s very hard! Even for me too. Maybe you can try to do it at least once or twice a week?
Before I get into my current job, I really did slept at 10pm every night and woke up at 7am every morning. But not anymore now… I doubt I can even get back to home at 12 midnight now… not to mentioned get into bed at 10pm…
Synaesthesia: Oh I see…sometimes that’s the problem. We have to make sacrifices because of a need. If you need to work late, then there’s really not much of a choice. Hey, but if you can try this on your rest days, that would be good too! ?
This is something I would love to do and have been trying also but no matter what by the time I go to bed it would be 12am and sometimes even 1am.
Leon: My sleeping schedule is like yours now since my maid left. I’m trying to adjust back again but with the new work term coming up, I think it’s quite tough. But I did sleep by 11pm last 2 nights! ?
I believe this 100%. Interestingly enough, while I was reading a few other books on *sleep*, the author never mentioned this. He mentioned that some people are owls and larks, people have different times in which they go to sleep comfortably but for me personally, I can safely say that when I go to sleep at 9PM and wake up at 5AM, I feel SOOOO much better when going to sleep at 2AM and waking up at 10PM. In fact, when I get to bed at later times I end up oversleeping to the point where half my day is gone. I could never oversleep if I went to bed at 9PM.
Teri: I read about the owls and larks too but I’m not so sure if one of the groups are well rested. I knew of this guy who would always go to sleep at 3am like forever…at 30+, he was looking like 50+ even though he slept for 8 to 10 hours daily. But it might not be just the lack of quality sleep that affected his aging…there were probably other factors I guess.
I totally no problem!I sleep around 9-9.30pm every night except sat :)My kids sleep aroung 8.30 from mon to thursday.
Florence: Wow envy! I wish I can. I did it for a period of time, sleeping with my son early every night but I definitely felt and looked better. But now… quite hard to sleep early.
Yes, I also heard about this elsewhere.
When I have deadlines to meet, I find that I work better by sleeping at 8 or 9pm and waking up to work at 3 or 4am than work late and sleep at 2 or 3am.
For those who want to sleep early, try to slowly adjust by going to bed 15mins earlier everyday. After 21 times of repeating same action, the habit will form.
pf: Hey, that’s a good tip. The slow adjustment should be easier to achieve!
No problems for me – I always aim to be in bed by 10pm because I’m like a baby – I need my sleep or I can’t function the next day ? I do end up reading in bed though heh
Paris: Wow, you’re another lucky gal! I used to be the same – early to bed, early to rise. Now, I’ve become late to bed but still early to rise! ?
Wow! Florence and Paris B has such healthy sleeping habits. Unfortunately, I always stay up late to catch late night shows like Harper’s Island. Now, I understand why I still feel tired despite 8 hours of sleep. I’m also a light sleeper, any sounds will rouse me from my sleep. Sigh!
I learn something new again from Sesame!
Peapot: Hey, try sleeping earlier for a few nights and see what happens. But I know the temptations of entertainment… I stay up to blog and sometimes watch movies too! ?
I think I should try it tonight. Because i noticed that when I go to bed past midnight and sleep till 8 or 9, even 10am, I always wake up feeling tired.
Vonvon: Yes, try it and see if you feel more refreshed.
i have to try this soon, im not working so i tend to sleep ard 2-3am and i get at least 8 hours of sleep but im still tired…
Joyce: Ah…if you’re not working, you have more flexibility with your time. Try to sleep earlier. Perhaps that can help make you feel better.
HI Peapot,I can/t sleep late,when the sleeping time comes, I will start to YAWN & YAWN….this is to tell me FASTER GO & SLEEP!!!!!!kekeke
My mum also has this theory that says if we sleep late, our teeth will spoil faster.
Another theory of hers is that sleeping late will cause heatiness in our body, which would in turn cause acne.
I don’t know how true are these theories, but she’s always rushing us to bed citing these reasons.
pf: Teeth will spoil faster??? Ah, never heard that one but it sounds funny. Have heard about heatiness and causing acne though…
11pm sounds good, at least better than my time,lol. I will try and sleep at least by 11 from today:)
Leon: That should do some good! ?
so funny! sleep late teeth will spoil faster!!!!I am laughing when I type this ? I enjoy! I only know that sleep late will become PANDA !!!!
Florence: I thought it funny too! ?
Yup. That’s my mom. She compared a couple of her friends who worked the midnight shift in their youths and those who didn’t and came up with this theory. ?
pf: Oh…she had a theory about this…and I thought she said that just to make you all sleep earlier! Your mom is cute lah…
I totally agree that sleeping earlier is more healthy and fights aging ? My live-in partner works NYC hours even though we live in Tokyo so I tend to stay up later too. Great challenge, Sesame! Women tend to reach for instant fixes in a jar but it’s got a lot to do with sleep and nutrition!
astrorainfall: Yes, unfortunately our lifestyles makes sleeping earlier a lot difficult!
Oh God! That is one difficult challenge! I usually sleep around 3am to 6am, even at 7am. ANd I’ll wake up at 2pm or 3pm, depending on what shift I’m working.
I end work pretty late. And I am dubbed as the graveyard shift queen.
But thank God I left one of my other jobs. I usually have to end at 2am on fridays and saturdays. Most of the time too tired to go to church.
Now I’m praying for an office job… Lol… Better hours and better pay!! And more sleep!!!!!!
Oh yes, for light-sleepers, you ladies can purchase foam ear plugs from guardian… It’s the one in a yellow box. Less than $2, and can last you for about a month. Blocks out snoring noises!
Ms Blacklace: Ah your working hours make this difficult…not much of a choice. But hey, I wish you’ll find an office job soon! And try to sleep during the optimal hours on your off days meanwhile.
this is a tough one, think i can wakeup 10 mins earlier in the morning but not going to bed at 10. 10 is usually the time i just bathed n all! + i need another hour to chill out before i sleep. hehehehe
Prettybeautiful: Okay, so you hit your pillow at about 11pm. That’s not too bad.
This is going to be a real challenge for me. I usually get by with 5 to 6 hours of sleep and I tend to have some kind of internal struggle against sleeping early. But what pf1123 mentioned about trying to go to bed 15 min earlier each night sounds like a plan. I’ll aim to hit the sack by 11.30pm tonight ?
MsLips: Yeah, pf’s tip is quite good to overcome the struggle to sleep early. ?
Sesame… I don’t think I can! 11pm will do fine for me but not 10pm! =S First of all there are good dramas between 9-11pm.
Dee: Haha…entertainment first! ?
Yeah, just try to sleep earlier each night. Even if you’re not sleepy, just lie there. The habit of sleeping early will form after you do it for 21 times. Its for any habit at all, so I think it can apply to sleeping as well. ?
Hope that works for the girls who try!
Hey Sesame,
It may seem like I’m stalking you. Hahah. But I just need your reply on my email that I just dropped you earlier. In case you don’t check your email or it goes into your junk box. Do let me know your thoughts soon.
and Have a great day!
Wendy: Hey, my apologies! I read your email last week and wanted to reply but forgot due to other distractions. I had meant to write back this week. I’ll get it done later today.
I naturally feel sleepy by 9 pm and am in bed by 9.30. But I’m not sleeping though. I just tend to think, make plans, try to remember things, etc.
If I am not asleep by 10, I get a glass of warm milk and biscuits. I know, biscuits are not a great snack, but milk alone will make me pee 2 to 3 times in the night.
And I wake up at around 5.30 am without an alarm.
I can be sleepy in the afternoon prolly because of the heat, and lunch. But it passes in about 1/2 an hour.
But I get ribbed about sleeping so early. When I say that I’m in bed by 9.30, people look at me in a shocked way. So early!, they’ll say.
Balwinder: Hey, I used to get that sort of response too back when I was sleeping early like 9 or 9.30 you mentioned. I’m like you too, an early bird. I can’t stay awake for too late but I tend to wake up early.
wha i sleep like 3am…. =/ sometimes~ only cause I am still studying and i guess most kids who are…like to stay up late! but its my study break and lastest i sleep now is 1.45am.. okies tonight after i finish studying this chapter i am going to sleep! lately ive been crazy about getting good skin haha.. also good for health right. I shall psycho and tell myself that to get my body to sleep!
Valarie: Sleep earlier if you can…although I understand why you’re sleeping later. I tend to stay up too if I have work that needs to be completed but my skin suffers! ?
ha, i wish i could sleep this early. i don’t go to bed until 2-3am. other times, i stay up all night and then the next!
Sarah: Ah…I know a couple of people who sleeps at the hour like you. I guess it can’t be help with different lifestyles and hectic schedules…
wow…i can take this challenge..i always sleep at 9.30-10.00pm every night except for wednesday (CSI) and weekdays..
hehehehe
Farah: Oh that’s great! ?
You see, I have a problem here. I’m one of those sleepers that if I go to bed late, I’m late to rise, and sometimes I even find myself if I go to bed early, I still find myself waking up late any way. For example, last night I went to bed at 1am, and I slept until 4pm.
That’s unusual for me, because I didn’t even stay up that late. I really want to go to bed early, because I am young and I need to get the proper sleep, but it’s so hard….. From now on I’ll try to be in bed at 10pm. But, I honestly never feel well rested. Any tips or advice to get me a well rested sleep?
Y.Y i really had no choice but to sleep around at this time. waa.. 2:00 am almost . i wonder how can i restore my skin’s lost beauty rest.
Very interesting article…thank you. I go to bed at 9 pm every night and get up at 5 am…its awesome!! Talk about serene. I also retired my all night partyin shoes, so that helps too.