Sleeping before midnight...

[erin-x]

I was having a discussion with my Gran about sleep. She was moaning at me because I don't get enough but I know if I go to my bed early it takes me even longer to go to sleep than if I went at my normal time!

Anyway.. My question.. My Gran said that people who sleep before midnight and get up earlier are healthier than people who go to bed later and lie in longer. I just don't understand how this can be true! Surely it's the amount of sleep and not when you sleep that counts?!

Any thoughts? x

[boxtops]

I have heard that before - every hour before midnight is twice as valuable as an hour afterwards.

[tinkerbell23]

Im fooked then lol.....

Im sure i read that nightshifts shorten your lifespan..so mabye theres something in what your gran said x

[JonnyBoy12]

I was told that only the sleep before midnight is beauty sleep and the rest is just normal sleep. Is this correct?

[Psybbo]

Old wives' tale

[boxtops]

This bloke thinks so... http://www.huffington...tery-of_b_446483.html

[rojash]

It's utter nonsense. Your body needs a certain amount of sleep when it's tired. As long as you are sleeping enough, at a time that suits you, you'll be fine.

[erin-x]

See that's what I was thinking Sibton... It's just time.. Sleep is sleep whenever you do it.

What about people who travel all over the world and move through time zones? Midnight would be different to them all the time.

[MASS1961]

I never go to bed on the same day I get up!
Just me, if I go to bed early I wake up far too early. 6 - 7 hours is fine

[Prudie]

what's that saying - early to bed and early to rise makes a man healthy, wealthy and wise?

[Prudie]

Not sure that's true about travellers erin, a friend was long-haul crew and she was always always tired.

[sherrardk]

I rarely go to bed before midnight and then get up at 7.20 on school days and whenever the little peeps get up on weekends/holidays - rarely unwell either.

[erin-x]

That's exactly why we started talking about it Prudie! She said that to me :-)

I think it's a load of tosh, personally! Lol! Some people are just naturally night owls, I know I am.

[thenry]

Margaret Thatcher,allegedly, only slept for 3 hours per night. Think of her life !

[vodkancoke]

I am too erin, I'm lucky if I get 4 hours sleep a night. It's not ideal but I can't do anything about it sadly! I wish I could lie-in! :( x

[Psybbo]

Nurses, policemen, firefighters all shiftworkers get sleep when they can. Best sleep, in my opinion, is the lie-in on Saturdays

[ummmm]

7.20 Sher...that's not bad.

[ChuckFickens]

I live my life on a I do it when I feel it principle. i.e. I sleep when I'm tired, I eat when I'm hungry and so on....

I seem to be pretty healthy for it.

[erin-x]

Exactly Thenry... If it were true, my whole generation would suffer from a shortened life span. I don't know anybody my age who goes to sleep before 12. I would say 2am is about average. I usually go about 11.30/12pm and that's getting up at 7am for work.

[ELVIS68]

I work shifts and get by with 5 hrs sleep plus the odd catnap at work when it's quiet

[thenry]

erin-x - I always feel better after an early night. I hate the mornings !