When Should I Go To Sleep For Ideal Mental Health?

As humans, we spend nearly a third of our lives sleeping. Sleep is vital for our physical and mental well-being, and a lack of sufficient quality sleep can have a negative impact on both of these areas. For example, it may contribute to fatigue, difficulties with focus and concentration, irritability, and low mood, among other symptoms. Over time, it can even increase the risk of serious long-term health problems—both mental and physical.

If you’re having trouble falling asleep, staying asleep, or getting good-quality sleep, it can be helpful to learn about lifestyle changes and habits that could help promote healthier rest. If you’re aiming for improved mental health, doing your best to routinely get good sleep can be a productive start. Below, we’ll discuss how many hours of sleep you need for a healthy sleep cycle, how to figure out the best time to go to sleep, the importance of sleep for mental health, and tips for adjusting your lifestyle to promote quality rest.

Common sleep problems and why they can be harmful

Sleep issues are common, with insomnia—which manifests as trouble falling asleep or staying asleep—being the most prevalent condition today. According to the American Psychiatric Association, as many as one-third of US adults report at least some symptoms of insomnia. Other types of common sleep disturbances and disorders include:

• Parasomnias, such as sleepwalking
• Sleep apnea
• Circadian rhythm disorders
• Restless leg syndrome
• Nightmares or night terrors
• Chronic pain conditions that can affect sleep
• Depression and other mental health conditions that can affect sleep

Getting to the root cause of a sleep issue and finding ways to boost your hours of sleep and/or quality of rest can be important in promoting overall health and wellness. As referenced above, not getting enough sleep consistently over time can increase a person’s risk of heart disease, high blood pressure, stroke, and diabetes. Poor sleep is also strongly associated with depression. Plus, sleep deprivation can cause irritability and trouble concentrating, which could lead to mental health challenges and trouble functioning during the day. 

When should I go to sleep for ideal mental health?

There’s conflicting evidence and opinions from experts about what time of night is best to go to sleep for optimal health, as researchers still have much to learn about this key human function. Some professionals in the field say that there’s no one, particular time that’s right for everyone—that each person has an optimal bedtime that will work best for them. These experts also tend to stress that it’s more important that people get the right amount of sleep—which is about seven to nine hours for the average adult, depending on age, genetics, and unique personal health factors. 

However, other sources indicate that the time at which you go to bed may actually matter. For example, Dr. Matt Walker, Head of the Sleep and Neuroimaging Lab at the University of California, Berkeley says that the best time to go to sleep is between 8 pm and 12 am. His reasoning is that the shift from non-REM to deep, restful REM sleep seems to happen at certain times of night for most people regardless of when they go to bed. This could mean that going to bed after 12 a.m. might result in fewer hours of sleep which qualify as REM sleep cycles, which could lead you to feel groggy and less rejuvenated the next day. 

Figuring out the best sleep times and duration for you

Sleep habits are often highly individual. Factors like age, lifestyle, overall health, and even genetics can influence exactly how much sleep you need when is best for you to go to sleep, and practices that could help you sleep better. One way to gain some insight is to use a sleep calculator. You can enter your age and your ideal bedtime and wake time and they will tell you what time to go to sleep and wake for best results. You could also try some of the sleep tips listed below to help you experiment with different sleep hygiene practices to find what works best for you. 

Suggestions for healthy sleep hygiene

Going to bed and waking up at the same time every day may be one of the most productive habits you can develop for positive sleep hygiene.

However, if you can't always control the time you go to sleep every night or if this still isn’t helping your sleep problems, there are a few other things you can do to improve your quality of sleep, as outlined below.

Create a relaxing bedtime routine

Creating a relaxing bedtime routine that you follow nightly may help prepare your mind and body for sleep. Your routine could include things like drinking a cup of herbal tea, using calming essential oils, reading a good book, stretching or engaging in yoga, and/or taking a warm bath or shower. Light exposure late at night can interfere with sleep—particularly blue light—so it may help to avoid phone, computer, and TV screens in the evening.

Exercise regularly

Many studies from the past few years point to the idea that getting regular aerobic exercise during the day may help you sleep better at night. As Charlene Gamaldo, M.D., Medical Director at Johns Hopkins Center for Sleep at Howard County General Hospital says, there is “solid evidence” that exercise does help people fall asleep faster and sleep better. Finding a type of physical activity that you enjoy and can stick to can be helpful. You might try walking, running, dancing, swimming, or hiking, for example.

Avoid napping during the day

Taking long naps during the day may be tempting if you didn’t sleep well the night before and are feeling drowsy. However, sleeping for extended periods outside of your nighttime rest can disrupt your sleep cycle and make it harder to relax into rest when bedtime comes around. Research suggests keeping any daytime naps to less than 30 minutes if you do take one.

Talk to a healthcare professional

Sleep problems could also be due to a medical or mental health condition such as insomnia, anxiety, depression, stress, or something else. If you’re practicing good sleep hygiene and are still having trouble getting good rest, you might seek out medical advice from a physician or mental health support from a therapist.

Seeking therapy for mental health support

If stress and anxiety are keeping you up at night without any identifiable medical cause, it might be time to see a licensed therapist. They may be able to help you find ways to de-stress and calm racing thoughts that could be keeping you up at night. If tiredness or a busy schedule makes it difficult for you to commute to and from in-person therapy appointments, you might consider online therapy. 

With a platform like BetterHelp, you can get matched with a therapist who you can meet with via phone, video call, and/or in-app messaging to address the challenges you may be facing—all from the comfort of home or wherever you have an internet connection. Research suggests that those experiencing sleep issues, including sleep disorders, may be able to find relief by participating in online counseling. One 2019 study, for example, suggests that it helped reduce symptoms of insomnia and depression in shift workers, so it may be an option worth exploring if this format is more convenient for you.