Harleen Uppal
The number of hours young people spend asleep is getting increasingly higher. Even influencers and celebrities like Dakota Johnson admit to sleeping 14 hours a night. But is an early bedtime really worth it? And what are the ramifications?
We are all urged to get six to eight hours of quality sleep each night from a young age. But recently, more and more people in their 20s are getting to bed by nine, which means they get more than 10 hours of sleep a night.
With the rise of TikTok, it is no surprise that more people are trying to form new sleeping habits. It only takes two swipes before you watch somebody’s bedtime routine, making you consider how to adapt yours. Maybe one of these influencers does hold the secret to a good night’s sleep. Whether the secret is taking supplements, changing the lighting in your room, or making a sleepy girl mocktail before bed.
The amount of sleep we get directly impacts our daily performance. But is there such a thing as too much sleep? To find out, I decided to personally test the viral 9pm bedtime routine and observe its effects on my day-to-day life. This personal experience could shed light on the potential benefits and drawbacks of this trend.
@juhcobo 3 hour night routine 🌸 #cleangirlaesthetic #lifestyleaesthetic #aesthetic #grwm #nightroutine
Day One
As I approach my 20s, I realise the value of good sleep. Gone are the days I went to sleep after 3am. and woke up in the afternoon. However, even for me, a bedtime of 9pm seemed absurd.
As 9pm approached, I found myself full of energy and able to work. This was probably because I had gone to bed at midnight the previous night. At 9pm, I would usually be showering or completing uni work. But not today. I’ll admit it was hard to stop doom-scrolling on TikTok for the next five minutes. I reluctantly placed my phone on my bedside table and switched off all the lights.
There’s something unsettling about trying to sleep so early when your phone is still pinging from group chat notifications. You can still hear loud voices all around the house. I felt like a child again. As I tried to distract myself and zone out, I tossed and turned more than usual. I can’t be sure of the exact time I fell asleep, but it must have been a good hour or so later.
To make things worse, I was wide awake at 4am and constantly drifting in and out of sleep. To say I was already questioning this routine would be an understatement.
Day Two
The next day, I found myself slightly irritated about my lack of shut-eye. I got frustrated thinking about everything I could have done instead of forcing myself to sleep.
I felt awake and didn’t crash at any point in the day. However, I noticed no difference from my usual 11pm bedtime.
I did find myself getting tired around 8pm, but this was definitely due to the lack of sleep I had the previous night. I was in bed at 8:30pm, and luckily, I was knocked out before I even knew it.
Day Three
When I opened my eyes, the time read 6:06am. It was not quite ten hours of sleep, but my body did not want any more rest.
One thing I can definitely say is that sleeping so early has increased my productivity in the mornings. I have started to get everything done earlier, knowing I will be tired at around 8pm.
“I learnt that there is definitely such a thing as too much sleep!”
I ended up going out at seven, but I was feeling extremely grumpy by 8:30am. So I headed home and was asleep by 10pm. One flaw I seem to find in this routine is how unrealistic it is to keep up all the time. There’s so much good TV on at 9pm and always something to do.
Is anyone able to stick to this routine for more than one week?
@adriennesalinaas My nightly ritual that is guaranteed to work… unless you have insomnia idk how to help you there #sleephack #nighttimeroutine #bedtimeroutine
Days Four And Five
I would still say my body wasn’t used to this much sleep on a daily basis. I usually sleep for ten hours once a week at the weekend, and that’s it. I learnt that there is definitely such a thing as too much sleep!
I find it hard to believe that this is sustainable for anyone. Dakota Johnson’s claim that she sleeps 14 hours a night now sounds impossible!
The Final Days
I could not wait for the day I could return to my usual routine. The one difference I found going to sleep at 9pm was that I had less time to do things. If anything, I felt better on seven hours of sleep. As I got into bed at 8:30pm for the final time, I couldn’t sleep out of pure enjoyment of returning to my usual routine.
“A lesson I definitely learnt during this experiment is that long sleep does not equal good sleep!”
I’m sure sleeping for ten hours works for some people. But if you’re not used to it, I would not recommend it. What works for some does not always work for others. My advice is to keep a general routine but go to bed when you feel tired! Sticking to a strict schedule can lead to anxiety around the amount of sleep you get.
Is An Early Bedtime Worth It?
According to the National Institutes of Health, adults should sleep seven to nine hours a night. Sleeping more than nine hours per night regularly can benefit some young adults. But it can also be linked with mental health issues, such as depression.
A lesson I definitely learned during this experiment is that long sleep does not equal good sleep! I was going back to my usual routine. I was less sluggish and did not feel much happier good sleep every day.
This routine was not for me, but it works well for others. Try changing your bedtime for a week and see if you notice any differences!
Featured image courtesy of Gregory Pappas on Unsplash. No changes have been made to this image. Image license here.
