Jet lag from travel can really throw your body off. It can take days to get your body back in sync with its natural rhythm. However, we don’t have to do any real traveling to develop an irregular schedule. All it takes is a weekend of staying up late and sleeping in. This is known as “social jet lag.”
If you have a consistent sleep schedule during the week and shift your sleeping hours on the weekend, your body could find it difficult to fall and stay asleep the next night. Carrie Madormo, RN, MPH shares the example of staying up late on Saturday night and then sleeping in on Sunday morning. “You will likely have a hard time falling asleep on Sunday night,” Madormo says. “This is because your body has not been awake enough hours to feel tired at your usual Sunday bedtime. This likely makes waking up early on Monday morning difficult.” Other side effects of social jet lag include:
- weight gain
- chronic illness
- depression
- decreased academic performance
It’s easy to avoid social jet lag by simply staying on a consistent sleep schedule. To ensure you have overall better sleep at night…
- keep your sleep and wake times within 15 to 30 minutes of the same time each day
- keep your stress in check
- limit your caffeine intake to the morning only
- limit alcohol
- consume rich, fatty foods right before bed
- hit the gym in the morning or midday, avoid exercising right before bed
Source:Very Well Health