Need another reason to turn in early? A recent study in the European Journal of Internal Medicine involving nearly 74,000 UK adults, found that going to sleep late is linked to a higher risk of concerning health conditions, including cancer, diabetes, high blood pressure, and respiratory issues. The study is the largest of its kind to examine the impact of sleep timing on physical health.
“The new data confirms that sleep timing—not just duration—should be considered an essential factor in assessing patients’ overall health,” says Kultar Singh Garcha, M.D., NHS general practitioner and global medical director at Flow Neuroscience, a healthcare company that manufactures an NHS-approved brain stimulation device for treating depression.
Beyond a lack of willpower, late sleep can be caused by a number of factors. “Struggling to fall asleep early isn’t just about discipline—it reflects the pressures of modern life,” says Garcha. “Rising stress levels, constant screen exposure, and long hours spent indoors with limited sunlight make it difficult to align with circadian rhythm, our internal sleep regulator.”
The circadian rhythm is our body’s internal 24-hour clock. It regulates our sleep-wake cycle. “Alignment with circadian rhythm, typically achieved by earlier bedtime, supports a balanced progression through the lighter and deeper sleep stages,” says Garcha. “Healthy sleep architecture is vital for physical recovery, emotional regulation, and brain health in general. Late or insufficient sleep and sleep disorders disrupt this architecture. It forces the body to miss out on key restorative processes, raising health risks.”
In Resmed’s 2025 Global Sleep Survey, it’s reported that 34 percent of adults struggled to fall asleep while 29 percent reported trouble staying asleep. Not surprisingly, poor sleep quality is a growing global health concern. Together with new research linking late sleep to health risks, it’s increasingly important to establish healthy sleep patterns.
Adopting Healthier Sleep Habits
Experts confirm that earlier, more restorative sleep patterns can be achieved through incremental behavioral changes. “Going to bed just 15 minutes earlier every few days helps the body adjust gradually, making it easier to build lasting habits,” says Garcha. “Key tips to help the body adjust include avoiding screens at least an hour before bed, cutting down caffeine, ensuring light exposure during the day, and setting a consistent routine of going to sleep and waking up at the same time.”
However, this might not be sufficient for people struggling with stress-induced sleep problems and mental health.
“I see many patients who genuinely try to maintain earlier sleep schedules but still struggle to fall asleep due to stress, anxiety, or ruminating thoughts,” says Hannah Nearney, psychiatrist, founder of Anchor Psychiatry Group, and UK medical director at Flow Neuroscience. “When it comes to depression, sleep disruptions such as difficulty getting to sleep, poor quality sleep, and waking very early in the morning are also common symptoms.”
In such cases, a more comprehensive approach and professional support are often necessary. “As part of treatment, clinicians might recommend cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia (CBT-I), proven to help with sleep problems, via addressing the underlying thoughts, feelings, and behaviors resulting in poor sleep,” says Nearney.
Alongside psychological support, neuromodulation therapy can help regulate brain and nervous system activity, says Nearney. One of the most widely used neuromodulation techniques for addressing sleep issues is transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS). Sleep timing proves to be as important as sleep duration in reducing health risks, making an earlier and more consistent sleep schedule a key factor in preventing negative health outcomes.
“Educating patients about the importance of sleep timing is essential,” says Nearney. “Providing effective, modern treatments and support can help prevent avoidable and potentially serious health issues.”
