What’s the date today? December 1, I think? Time flies.
This means it’s been a month already since I traveled cross-country for the first time since the pandemic (for a writing and publishing conference), which also means it was my first time dealing with jet lag in two years.
I used to travel like this all the time for work, but going from Eastern to Pacific really takes a toll on me now.
Result? Well, for one thing I caught myself eating a ham and cheese sandwich and drinking a diet Pepsi at 8:30 in the morning one day. But on the other hand, I was in bed and asleep before 10 p.m. almost every night for several days. It was amazing.
It also turns out that without even planning to, I'd made a simple lifestyle change, temporary as it was in my case, that could reflect a reduced risk of heart disease.
That’s the study I want to share today, in my meandering introductory way. It starts with something called the UK Biobank, which is a planned 30-year study of the health and habits of more than 500,000 British people.
It started in 2006, and we’re now in 2021, so I guess this is the halfway point. Back at the start, participants answered health questions, had basic measurements taken (like height and weight), and provided samples of blood and urine.
About 20 percent of them also wore sleep-tracking devices on their wrists for seven days.
Fast-forward, and a group of scientists took some of this data—relating to about 88,000 participants—and tracked the correlation between the subjects’ sleep habits and their propensity to develop heart disease during the years that followed.
Bottom line: About 3.6 percent of the participants developed cardiovascular diseases, such as stroke, heart attack, or another heart-related issue. The researchers said they identified a significant correlation between when the participants went to bed each night, and their likelihood of being among those who developed heart problems.
Specifically, those who went to bed consistently between 10 p.m. and 11 p.m. had by far the lowest incidence of heart trouble. Additionally:
People who went to bed after midnight each day had a 25 percent higher chance of developing heart issues.
Those who went to bed between 11 p.m. and midnight had a 12 percent higher risk.
Finally, those who went to bed before 10 p.m. also had a higher risk—24 percent higher than those who went to bed during the 10 p.m. to 11 p.m. hour.
The study was published in European Heart Journal (Digital Health).
Now, it's important to recognize that our old friend, "correlation versus causation," is at play here.
We can't go so far as to say that going to bed between 10 p.m. and 11 p.m. actually causes a lower risk of heart trouble; people who went to bed at that time might have been less likely to develop heart issues for another reason.
But, lead study author Dr. David Plans of the University of Exeter, suggested that going to bed either "too late" or "too early" might interfere with the human body's circadian rhythms, which might in turn have a more direct effect on a propensity for heart disease.
I'll add another theory (not that I’m qualified really, but Dr. Plans isn’t here): It’s that perhaps people who consistently go to bed at the eminently reasonable hour of 10 p.m. might also practice other advantageous health behaviors.
Examples? Well, to go to sleep at 10 p.m., you'd have to stop working sometime before then. Thus, fewer workaholics might be in the 10 p.m. cohort.
Also, getting on a schedule like this might require putting other parts of your life on more of a regular schedule—the times you eat, for example, and the time you get up in the morning.
Oh, and there's also the simple fact that people who go to bed at 10 p.m. are more likely to get a full 7 or 8 hours of sleep than those who go to bed later, simply because even if you're up-and-at-'em at 5 a.m., you've still come close to seven hours of shuteye.
I admit, this whole thing struck close to home—juxtaposing the study and my week of getting to bed at a decent hour, against my normal routine. Honestly, there are just far too many nights when this newsletter and my other responsibilities see me working away at midnight, or 1 a.m., or 2 a.m.
But, I’m grateful for the whole experience—and for the marker from this study suggesting that I really ought to try to make that temporary change I had on the West Coast into a more permanent habit.
So if it works for you, maybe follow the science and focus on getting to bed not too long after 10 p.m. each night for a little while.
And if you have a tough time getting in the swing of it, might I suggest a cross country trip for a week or so? You might pick up a healthier habit without even meaning to.
Call for comments: It’s 10 p.m. Do you care to share what you’d most likely be doing?
7 other things worth your time
I know this is a big topic switch, but: In Michigan, a 15-year-old high school sophomore, armed with a semiautomatic handgun, “is accused of a shooting at his school Tuesday afternoon, killing three students and injuring six others, including a teacher.” Video below from inside a classroom shows one of the tamer (but still terrible) views of what it was like for students, when the shooter tried to impersonate a sheriff’s deputy. (Detroit Free Press, Twitter)
Just yesterday I said I wasn’t going to provide a tick-tock of the Ghislaine Maxwell sex trafficking trial, but I felt like I should mention that Jeffrey Epstein's former pilot testified that Presidents Bill Clinton and Donald Trump, along with Prince Andrew, were among the “who’s who” of powerful men he recalls traveling aboard Epstein's private plane, aka “the Lolita Express.” (CNN)
CNN has suspended anchor Chris Cuomo indefinitely after newly released transcripts appeared to show he used media sources to help his brother, former NY Gov. Andrew Cuomo, amid his sexual harassment scandal. (Business Insider)
How to leave a holiday party without being a jerk. (In case you don’t click: Bring a gift, come at the start if you plan to leave early, and send a thank you afterward.) (Lifehacker)
Finding cheap plane tickets: a Conde Nast Traveler guide for the late stage pandemic. (CN Traveler)
Seattle police say they went undercover and busted a massive theft ring: thousands of dollars worth of stolen Star Wars LEGO sets. (Seattle Police Department)
I love Canada, in part because of stories like this one: Facing a maple syrup shortage, our neighbors to the north have reportedly tapped into the country’s strategic maple reserves. (Not a joke, apparently: "That's why the reserve is made, to never miss maple syrup," said Helene Normandin, communications director of Quebec Maple Syrup Producers.) (NPR)
Thanks for reading. Absurdly adorable photo credit: Pixabay. I wrote about some of this in a different version for Inc.com. Want to see all my mistakes? Click here.
I’ve known for far too long that I’m harming all sorts of habits by sitting on the couch vegging out to late night TV. Today, I woke with a purpose (after weighing myself and seeing my fitness tracker chart acting like a desired gross revenue chart) and I’m glad I ran across your work. Thanks for what you do.
I normally get to bed by 9pm or8:30pm up so should I consider it dangerous