A newly-conducted study has discovered that going to bed between 10pm and 11pm reduces the risk of developing heart disease.
If you ever needed an excuse for an early night, this is it.
The study – which was written by Dr David Plans of the University of Exeter, and published in European Heart Journal – Digital Health, a journal of the European Society of Cardiology (ESC) – found that compared to falling asleep between 10pm and 10.59pm, there was a 12% greater risk of developing cardiovascular diseases for 11pm to 11.59 pm, and a 24% increased risk for falling asleep before 10pm.
There was also a 25% higher risk of cardiovascular disease associated with falling asleep at midnight or later.
The study included 88,026 people in the UK Biobank study, recruited between 2006 and 2010, with the average age of study participants being 61 years.
Participants were aged between 43 and 79 years old, with 58% women.
“The body has a 24-hour internal clock, called circadian rhythm, that helps regulate physical and mental functioning,” Dr David Plans explained.
“While we cannot conclude causation from our study, the results suggest that early or late bedtimes may be more likely to disrupt the body clock, with adverse consequences for cardiovascular health.”
The study included 88,026 people in the UK Biobank study, recruited between 2006 and 2010 / Credit: Flickr
Not only that, but a further analysis by sex found that the increased cardiovascular risk was also stronger in women.
Before the study, participants were required to complete demographic, lifestyle, health, and, physical assessments and questionnaires, and then researchers collected data on sleep onset and waking up time over seven days using a device worn on the wrist.
Participants were then followed up for a new diagnosis of cardiovascular disease – which was defined as a heart attack, heart failure, chronic ischaemic heart disease, stroke, and transient ischaemic attack – and during an average follow-up of 5.7 years, 3,172 participants (3.6%) developed cardiovascular disease, according to the study.
The study ultimately found that this diagnosis was the highest in those with bed times at midnight or later, and the lowest in those with sleep onset from 10pm to 10.59 pm.
Dr David Plans admitted that the reasons for the observed stronger association between sleep onset and cardiovascular disease in women is unclear, but concluded that: “While the findings do not show causality, sleep timing has emerged as a potential cardiac risk factor – independent of other risk factors and sleep characteristics.”
“It’s important to remember that this study can only show an association and can’t prove cause and effect,” added Regina Giblin – Senior Cardiac Nurse at the British Heart Foundation.
Featured Image – Pixabay
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More than 100 ‘unsafe’ counterfeit Labubus seized in Oldham
Daisy Jackson
More than 100 counterfeit Labubus and accessories have been seized in Oldham, the council has announced.
The Labubu dolls – a plush collectible with giant smiles and bunny ears – have been seized because they are fake, and unsafe.
The haul of 104 Labubus has been given a street value of between £800 and £1000 – but if they were the real deal, they’d be worth more than three times as much.
The poorly-made figures were being sold for a fraction of the price of a real Labubu, which are manufactured by Chinese company Pop Mart (it’s set to open its second Manchester store in the Trafford Centre next week).
Oldham Council’s Trading Standards team said it seized the counterfeit Labubus from local businesses and found that they were unsafe and poorly made.
Officers raised concerns about the safety of the dolls, which had small parts such as eyes, hands and feet broke off easily, creating a choking hazard.
What a genuine Labubu should look like. Credit: The Hoot Leeds
They were also missing legally required safety marks such as the CE or UKCA labels, and lacked the name and address of a UK supplier, which is another legal requirement.
Councillor Elaine Taylor, Oldham Council’s Cabinet Member for Housing and Licensing, said: “Oldham Trading Standards carries out regular checks to help keep unsafe products off the shelves. In this case, these counterfeit toys failed safety standards and have now been removed from sale.
“We know it can be tempting to buy toys that look like a bargain, but parents need to be extra careful. Fake toys like these may be cheaper, but they can put children in real danger if they’re not made to strict safety standards.
“If anyone has concerns about toys they’ve purchased, or if they see unsafe products on sale locally, we’d encourage them to get in touch with Trading Standards through the Consumer Helpline on 0808 223 1133.”
Council publishes list of central Manchester roads set to be resurfaced this summer
Emily Sergeant
A list of roads in Manchester that are set to be resurfaced before the summer is out has been published.
Manchester City Council recently asked residents in the region what their priorities were for their community and what issues they wanted to see tackled – and for many, the answer was the quality of the road surfaces.
Since then, the Council says it has been ‘engaged’ in a long-running programme of improvement works throughout the borough.
Now, with just over a month of the summer season left, it has been confirmed that some vital resurfacing works are due to start over the coming weeks in north and central Manchester, bringing a range of improvements to key district roads along with it.
First up, from Saturday 9 August, Hollinwood Avenue is to be resurfaced.
The Council has published a list of Manchester roads that are set to be resurfaced this summer / Credit: MJ Richardson (via Geograph)
Anticipated to take six weeks to complete, this work will be carried out during weekend closures from 8am-5pm, with the road remaining open during the working week.
The closure area will be between Greengates Roundabout and the Oldham boundary at Owler Lane, and a signed diversion route will be in place while work is carried out, and access for residents will be maintained at all times.
Then, starting from Saturday 16 August, resurfacing works will begin on Moss Lane East, between Alexandra Road and Princess Road.
Work will take place between 7am and 5pm on weekdays, and 8am and 5pm on weekends, and during the works, the road will be completely closed – with a signed diversion route in place and access for residents maintained.
As always, disruption is expected and the public is encouraged to plan ahead / Credit: Mylo Kaye (via Unsplash)
These works are expected to take six weeks to complete, and as with all resurfacing projects, residents should expect some disruption and may need to plan ahead.
The Council is aiming to keep disruption to the public at a minimum, where possible.
“We know how important it is to our residents that key roads are well maintained, which is why were glad to be able to deliver this latest round of improvement works,” commented Councillor Tracey Rawlins, who is the Executive Member for Clean Air, Environment, and Transport at Manchester City Council.
“I’d like to thank people ahead of time for their patience during the course of these works and would advise them to check when closures will be in place and where the diversions are.”
You can find more information on the resurfacing works on the Council website here.
Emily Sergeant -
9th November 2021 
