CLAIM: The optimal time for sleep is 11 PM to 4 AM as that is the time for body repair.
FACT: False. Every person's body has its own circadian rhythm and the body repairs itself at all times when a person sleeps, not just during a specified time.
A reel by YouTuber Raj Shamani in which Dr Irani Ali, the former physiotherapist of the Indian cricket team, tells him that the best time to sleep to ensure body repair is “between 11 PM to 4 AM”.
“You can’t say I will sleep at 12 instead of 11 and wake up at 8 instead of 4. You have already lost a valuable hour of repair from 11 to 12. For your body, sleep is very important," Dr Irani can be heard saying in the video, which has close to 3 lakh views.
"I’ve been telling people that if you sleep for 6 hours, make it 7 hours. Increase sleep by one hour. Increasing sleep is important, as sleep contributes to repairing the body.”
But are these claims right?
It is undisputed that quality sleep is an integral part of a healthy lifestyle. According to the US National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, “quality sleep—and getting enough of it at the right times—is as essential to survival as food and water.”
However, the relationship between sleep and repair of the body is not as simple as Dr Ali has stated, even if the point of the video is to encourage people to pursue better sleep habits. While it has been suggested that it is best to sleep at 10 pm, others have said that it has to do more with your circadian rhythm.
According to the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, the human body follows a 24-hour rhythm. "Your body has several internal clocks, called circadian clocks. These typically follow a 24-hour repeating rhythm, called the circadian rhythm. This rhythm affects every cell, tissue, and organ in your body and how they work," says the institute in an article.
“Most people’s natural circadian cycle is slightly greater than 24 hours. Some people naturally wake up early and some naturally stay up late. For example, it is natural for many teens to prefer later bedtimes and to sleep later in the morning than adults,” the article adds.
Similarly, another article published in the National Library of Medicine explains that the mechanism through which sleep is generated and maintained is more of a balance between “the homeostatic processes, which are functionally the body’s 'need for sleep' center, and the circadian rhythm, which is an internal clock for the sleep-wake cycle."
“It is clear that sleep plays a role in the development of the brain in infants and children and explains why infants must sleep upwards of 14 hours per day," the article notes.
In other words, getting enough sleep, keeping a regular schedule, and ensuring that you listen to your body’s cues matter more than hitting specific hours on the clock.
This story is done in collaboration with First Check, which is the health journalism vertical of DataLEADS.
