So, having a regular sleeping pattern could be the key to success

Jun 14, 2017

So, keeping a regular bedtime routine can be difficult at the best of times. Whether it's a Netflix binge or impromptu post-work drinks, there are lots of things that can prevent us from getting to bed at a decent hour.

And what's even worse is the lack of consistency. One night you're wide awake at 4:00am and the next you're falling asleep to the sound of the Six One News.

It's a pattern many of us are familiar with – but it's a habit that could affect you in more ways than one.

Researchers have found that having a regular sleep pattern is actually just as important as getting enough sleep each night.

What's more, those with a regular bedtime are actually more successful than those who sleep at different times every night.

61 Harvard undergraduates were asked to keep sleep diaries for 30 days. Scientists then measured the participants sleep and circadian rhythms, before comparing that data to their academic performance.

Results showed that the students with the least regular sleep patterns had a lower grade point average than others.

As well as that, those who went to bed at the same time every day had less trouble getting up in the morning and fell asleep faster at night.

It seems it's all down to the irregular release of melatonin (the hormone that tells your body it's time to sleep), which it turn causes your body clock to become completely confused.

Dr Andrew J. K. Phillips, lead study author and biophysicist at the Division of Sleep and Circadian Disorders, Brigham and Women's Hospital, said, “Our results indicate that going to sleep and waking up at approximately the same time is as important as the number of hours one sleeps.”

“Sleep regularity is a potentially important and modifiable factor independent from sleep duration.”

What's interesting is that even though the students all slept for a similar amount of time, their body clocks varied.

“We found that the body clock was shifted nearly three hours later in students with irregular schedules as compared to those who slept at more consistent times each night,” said Dr Charles A. Czeisler, senior study author and Director of the Sleep Health Institute at the Hospital.

“For the students whose sleep and wake times were inconsistent, classes and exams that were scheduled for 9am were therefore occurring at 6am according to their body clock, at a time when performance is impaired.

“Ironically, they didn't save any time because in the end they slept just as much as those on a more regular schedule.”