A growing body of research suggests that millions of Britons are not getting the recommended amount of sleep each night, with potentially serious consequences for their physical and mental well-being. In a personal experiment, one journalist decided to go to bed 30 minutes earlier for a week to see if it could make a difference.
Julia Musto, a 32-year-old New Yorker, typically only gets around six hours of sleep per night, which is below the seven-hour minimum advised by experts. Like many urban dwellers, Musto has to contend with increased noise and light pollution that can disrupt slumber.
To see if a small adjustment to her bedtime routine could pay dividends, Musto shifted her nightly schedule, aiming to be in bed by 10 pm rather than the usual 10:30 pm. She also made sure to eat dinner earlier, shower before bed, and avoid screen time in the lead-up to lights out.
While Musto admitted she didn’t feel dramatically more refreshed upon waking, she did notice some tangible improvements in her day-to-day functioning. “I was able to think things out more and write clearly,” she reported. “I could respond to my parents quicker and with intention. And, I acted decisively when moving around and off the train.”
Experts say that even small changes to sleep habits can yield significant benefits. Dr. Andrew Varga, a neuroscientist at Mount Sinai’s Integrative Sleep Center, warns that lack of sleep can lead to cognitive deficits. “If you were to actually put [people who sleep six hours a night] to the test and look at how they’re functioning during the day cognitively, you would definitely find deficits,” he told TODAY.com.
To make the transition to earlier bedtimes easier, specialists recommend establishing a consistent sleep schedule and avoiding stimulants like alcohol, caffeine, and screen time too close to lights out. While Musto acknowledged that those with partners or children may face additional hurdles, she believes the potential rewards are well worth the effort.
“What do you really lose by going to bed 30 minutes earlier?” she asked. “I found that the transition wasn’t hard. And there’s not a lot to lose from heading to dreamland earlier.”
