2<\/p>\n Falling asleep after midnight could lead to a number of health problems, including weight gainCredit: Getty 2<\/p>\n Dr Saurabh Sethi shares important health advice to his followers on TikTokCredit: Jam Press\/@doctorsethimd<\/p>\n Dr Saurabh Sethi, a gastroenterologist, recently issued an urgent warning to people using plastic water bottles<\/a> and heating up their leftovers in takeaway containers, as the material is showing up in our brains.<\/p>\n Now, the 42-year-old has revealed to his 504,000 followers on TikTok<\/a> (@doctorsethimd) the dangerous effects going to sleep<\/a> after midnight has on our bodies \u2013\u00a0especially our minds. <\/p>\n In a clip, which has racked up 29,000 views and hundreds of likes, he explains the four ways in which our body suffers. <\/p>\n \u201cIf you regularly stay up past midnight, you might experience several health issues,\u201d the doctor, from California<\/a>, US, says. <\/p>\n \u201cThis means you are generally getting less than seven to nine hours of sleep.\u201d<\/p>\n The NHS recommends people get seven to nine hours sleep – in line with the ‘golden eight hours’. But really, everyone is different.<\/a><\/p>\n But you do need adequate quantity and quality to allow the body to optimally function and repair itself, promoting overall health and well being.<\/p>\n The first effect of staying awake past midnight is weight gain, Dr Sethi says.<\/p>\n Indeed, poor sleep has been linked to weight gain <\/a>in research. It disrupts appetite and fullness hormones and sleepiness causes you to reach for high-calorie foods. <\/p>\n A study in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) found a 20 per cent greater risk of obesity<\/a> or large waistline in those who went to sleep at midnight or later compared to those who slept between 8 and 10 pm.<\/p>\n Your ultimate sleep toolkit in 13 steps – from recording snoring to daylight hack<\/p>\n Second, Dr Sethi says sleeping past midnight causes a decline in mood, and thirdly, stress<\/a> levels will increase.<\/p>\n A study from\u00a0Stanford Medicine<\/a>, published in Psychiatry Research, suggests that sleeping before 1am, regardless of individual chronotype (natural sleep-wake preference), is linked to better mental health<\/a>.\u00a0<\/p>\n This study found that those who go to bed later than 1am have a higher risk of developing mental health issues like depression<\/a> and generalised anxiety<\/a> disorder.\u00a0<\/p>\n Lastly, Dr Sethi says “you may struggle with concentration and thinking during the day”. <\/p>\n Sleeping before midnight can enhance concentration<\/a> because the first few hours of sleep, which often fall before midnight, are critical for deep sleep and restorative processes that are vital for cognitive function and memory consolidation – as demonstrated by a study<\/a> at the University of Arizona.<\/p>\n Getting to sleep before midnight can also offer other health benefits. <\/p>\n A\u00a0study by the British Heart Foundation<\/a>\u00a0found people who fall asleep between 10 and 11pm have the lowest risk of heart and circulatory disease<\/a>, while those who fall asleep at midnight or later have an increased risk.\u00a0<\/p>\n Another study published in the European Heart Journal found that falling asleep before midnight is linked to a lower risk of cardiovascular disease.\u00a0<\/p>\n![\"Woman](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/beautiful-young-woman-sleeping-bed-992553169.jpg\")
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