If you go to bed at one or two in the morning every day, how long will it take for you to die suddenly? I don’t dare to hold on after reading this…

Expert of this article: Zhao Wei, MD, associate chief physician, Tianjin University Teda Hospital

Recently, there have been news reports of people dying suddenly from staying up late.

Nowadays, staying up late has become a big problem that affects health. Some experts say that going to bed should not be later than 23:00.

However, in this fast-paced society, even most young people cannot fall asleep before 12 o'clock.

They believe that no matter whether they go to bed early or late, as long as they sleep for 8 hours, it does not count as staying up late.

In fact, this statement is totally wrong. Let me explain why today.

Why shouldn’t you go to bed later than 11pm?

Nature's circadian rhythm controls the biological clock of many physiological processes such as sleep and hormone secretion. People's sleep rhythm must be consistent with nature's circadian rhythm, and they should eat and drink in moderation and have regular daily routines.

Increased light exposure at night inhibits the secretion of melatonin

Melatonin is a dark hormone, and its secretion has a clear circadian rhythm. After nightfall, melatonin secretion increases, and after about 11 p.m., the secretion accelerates, reaching a peak between 2 and 4 a.m., and gradually decreases in the second half of the night.

In fact, melatonin is very sensitive to light, and the blue light emitted by mobile phones and other electronic devices can delay the secretion of melatonin. Lack of melatonin can make it difficult for people to fall asleep, which can lead to insomnia over time. Studies have also shown that blue light can reduce the time of slow-wave sleep and rapid eye movement sleep. These two sleep stages are important for consolidating memory and regulating emotions. People need about 8 hours of sleep, and the time to receive light in the morning is about 7 o'clock, so don't go to bed later than 23 o'clock.

Going to bed late can lead to delayed sleep phase

Delayed sleep phase means being a night owl who goes to bed late and wakes up late. Delayed sleep phase can lead to intestinal flora imbalance, 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 diabetes. Staying up late will lead to a decrease in leptin secretion and an increase in ghrelin secretion. When sleep is insufficient, the brain's reward system is more easily stimulated by foods such as high-fat and high-carbohydrate foods. This is why people tend to have a strong appetite when they stay up late, and they will consume more high-fat and high-carbohydrate foods.

Sleeping late can lead to insufficient vitamin D production

The reduction of daytime sunlight leads to insufficient production of vitamin D and reduced secretion of melatonin. Vitamin D can help regulate the body's biological clock and has a great relationship with people's mood and sleep.

Sleeping late damages the 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. Long-term lack of sleep will cause amyloid β protein deposition in the brain, which may cause Alzheimer's disease (senile dementia).

If you go to bed at one or two in the morning every day,

How many days will it take for sudden death?

It is not known 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 conducted a sleep deprivation experiment. He did not sleep for 266 hours (11 days). In the last few days, Gardner developed severe mental symptoms, hallucinations, and memory loss. At the end of the 11 days, Gardner's memory dropped to only one minute.

If a person does not sleep for 24 hours, his memory, concentration, judgment, and hand-eye coordination will decline, and he will become very emotional.

After 48 hours of sleep deprivation, the body starts to compensate through microsleeps, which means you will fall asleep no matter what activity you are doing, but the duration of microsleeps is very short, and you may not even be aware of the occurrence of microsleeps. In other words, you can fall asleep even when driving on the highway, and you don't even know you are asleep. At this time, the brain is slow to react, often stuck, and unable to concentrate.

Depriving sleep for 72 hours can result in significant cognitive impairment and hallucinations.

Staying up late every day and sleep disorders such as sleep apnea, insomnia, and restless legs syndrome can lead to insufficient sleep. Long-term lack of sleep can damage the nerves, circulation, digestion, immune system, and metabolism, and increase the risk of serious diseases such as obesity, hypertension, heart disease, and diabetes. Recent studies have shown that lack of sleep and circadian rhythm disorders can lead to intestinal barrier dysfunction and intestinal flora imbalance, leading to the accumulation of intestinal reactive oxygen species, causing oxidative stress and cell damage, and then inducing sudden death.

Playing with your phone for 8 minutes before bedtime makes you excited for more than an hour?

After a busy day, you just can't bear to sleep at night. You lie on the bed and watch short videos, chat with friends, or play games. This is called "retaliatory bedtime procrastination."

It refers to the decision to sacrifice sleep in exchange for leisure time due to the lack of free time in daily life. Revengeful bedtime procrastination will directly lead to reduced sleep time and have a negative impact on mental and physical health.

A survey in the United States found that if a person uses a smartphone for 8 minutes before going to bed, it takes an average of 1 hour to fall asleep. Of course, this data does not apply to everyone, as it depends on the intensity of blue light emitted by the smartphone, the content being browsed, and personal 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. Putting your phone next to the bed will make you unable to help but check your phone before going to bed or when you wake up at night.

2. Place a small alarm clock at the bedside to replace the wake-up function of your mobile phone.

3. Maintain a regular bedtime and wake-up time, and don’t sleep in on non-work days. Avoid alcohol or caffeine in the evening.

4. Learn to relax, such as reading, meditating, or stretching. Relaxation can also reduce stress, which can lead to vengeful bedtime procrastination.

5. Create a good sleeping environment. Comfortable mattresses and bedding, warm and soft lighting can make people want to sleep, and avoid too much artificial light 2 hours before going to bed.

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