Sleep and Social Jet Lag
As we approach World Sleep Day on March 15th this year, it's essential to shed light on a phenomenon that affects many of us: social jet lag.
Social jet lag refers to the difference between our internal biological clock and our social or work schedules, similar to the effects of jet lag from traveling across time zones.
Inconsistency in your sleep routine can really throw you for a loop.
I experienced this firsthand during one of my favorite brain-boosting workouts, Rebel Groove. Despite my love for this dance cardio workout, I found myself struggling with coordination, much like how I feel after a long journey. I felt like I had two left feet.
What was happening?
It was eerily similar to how I felt after a grueling trip from a rural town on the Big Island of Hawaii, to Denver, Colorado. That trip started with a two-hour drive at pre-dawn, terrible traffic near Hilo, two connections with layovers, a tiny seat next to snoring neighbors, and ended with a long wait to get baggage. That 17 hour journey stripped me to the core.
Social jet lag has different sources depending on where you are in life. As a teenager, college student, or young professional it rears its head in the late social gatherings that often consume the weekend. As parents it shows up with another type of all-nighter usually involving newborn feeding schedules, teething, illness, nightmares, and waiting up for the teens to walk in and prove they are still alive. For empty nesters or those with age-related sleep disturbances, it can be a sign of health issues like sleep apnea, cardiovascular issues or dementia. For many women in menopause, it means hot flashes that soak sheets followed by a freezing chill, followed by another “burning woman” episode…fun stuff.
A sleep chronotype is a term that describes a person's natural inclination for the time of day when they prefer to sleep or when they are most alert. For those who have a sleep chronotype that doesn't mesh with their job, usually night owls, social jet lag is often experienced on days off where they sleep until noon to make up for a week of too little sleep.
The common thread? Inconsistency in our sleep.
Consistency in your sleep is considered the top tip for better sleep by neuroscientist, Matthew Walker. Deemed “The Sleep Diplomat” and author of Why We Sleep, Walker has focused on the impact of sleep on human health.
Walker recommends a significant societal change regarding sleep. He suggests that we need to prioritize and value sleep as a fundamental pillar of health and well-being. This change involves reevaluating our attitudes towards sleep, recognizing its crucial role in physical and mental health, and adjusting our lifestyles to ensure we get enough high-quality sleep regularly.
I spoke with a member of my audience, after delivering a talk on sleep, who was suffering from sleep deprivation because he was a natural night owl in a job that had extremely rigid early starts. He had tried everything to shift his sleep schedule to no avail. It was affecting his work, and he felt powerless to change it. Science has revealed that sleep chronotypes that are largely genetic, not a sign of laziness. We cannot simply choose to be a morning lark.
The reality is, we no longer live in the Industrial Revolution where whistles call us to the factory before dawn breaks. Flexible schedules adapted to our various sleep chronotypes are predicted to boost productivity and are more feasible with the worldwide trend toward virtual work. We also know that teens and college students naturally release the sleep hormone, melatonin, up to two hours later than younger children or adults.
Adjusting work and school schedules to align better with natural sleep patterns, as well as implementing policies that promote healthy sleep habits, could make a tremendous impact on overall societal health and productivity.
Understanding social jet lag and its effects can help us all lead healthier, more balanced lives. Let's prioritize our sleep and overall well-being, whether it's from travel or our daily routines.
Here's to better sleep and less jet lag!
