What not to spoil your sleep after sleeping in late on the weekend

Do you like staying up late and getting some sleep over the weekend or day off? In this case, you could be making a social mistake – when it comes to sleep.

Sleep scientists call the term “social jet lag,” a delay in the natural clock for falling asleep. I From your body, which happens when you stay up on Friday and Saturday nights to socialize and then fall asleep to make up for what you’ve missed.

Sleep expert Raj Dasgupta said: “Just as traveling from New York to Los Angeles can sometimes wreak havoc on your circadian rhythm (your body’s natural clock), staying up late at the end of a stressful workweek and sleeping in late on weekends can be a great deal to do. to happen too.” Assistant Professor of Clinical Medicine at the Keck School of Medicine at the University of Southern California.

“By staying up on Friday and Saturday nights and sleeping the next couple of days, you’re essentially forcing your body into a different time zone,” Dasgupta said. “This sleep pattern puts you at risk of suffering from the effects of chronic sleep deprivation, which can increase your risk of diseases such as diabetic NS heart disease. “

You can further disrupt your sleep rhythm and increase your sleep debt by also staying awake during the work week. Some of us can’t help it. If you instinctively prefer to go to bed later and wake up later, you choose the “owl” style.

Experts say it’s possible that people with nighttime habits are genetically predisposed to waking up at dawn because of a gene called CRY1.

A recent study found a variability in CRY1 in people with sleep phase disorder, or DSPD, a disorder in which people stay up very late and wake up later.

This might be a problem in a pre-industrial society with dim lighting after dark, but today’s world is filled with light, sound, and tons of nightlife – so what’s the problem? Unfortunately, most of the work and school hours are for those who like to “go to bed early, get up early”.

“Keeping an owl schedule in our modern world with the demands of work (or school) relatively early on is less healthy,” said sleep expert Kenneth Wright, professor of integrative psychology at the University of Colorado.

The danger of social fatigue

Changing the internal biological clock or circadian rhythm within an hour or two confuses the body and brain. When the time to go to sleep and when to wake up is not known, the body responds with symptoms such as insomnia, waking up early or excessive sleepiness, daytime fatigue, difficulty concentrating, constipation or diarrhea, and feeling restless. generally.

A study published in May looked at the sleep habits of 85,000 people in the UK and found that those people with an unbalanced sleep cycle were more likely to report depression and anxiety and have lower feelings of well-being.

“Challenging our internal biological clock appears to be closely related to levels of depression, and greater disruption is associated with greater chances of developing depression,” says study author Jessica Terrell, senior professor at the University of Exeter Medical School in the UK.

On the other hand, people who love wakeup earlyThey were less likely to have irregular sleep schedules. And here’s the surprise – the study found that they were happier than night owls.

“If you are a morning person, you are less likely to be depressed and more likely to report better well-being. This may be due in part to the fact that morning people are less likely to have ‘social jet lag,’” Terrell said.

How to treat jet lag

treatment? It’s a lot like a patient telling the doctor, “It hurts when I raise my arm.” The doctor replied, “Stop raising your arm.”

“Instead of getting up and going to bed at times that are out of sync with your internal clock and switching between two different bedtimes (one on weekdays and one for the weekend), try to maintain a healthy and consistent sleep schedule,” Dasgupta said.

Go to bed at the same time every night and get up at the same time every morning, even on weekends. Of course, this is easier said than done for people born to be a night owl. But it’s possible, according to a 2019 randomized clinical trial that taught a group of night owls to reshape their sleep habits.

Over the course of six weeks, 22 expressive night owls were instructed to attempt the following:

• going to bed two to three hours before your usual bedtime, and getting up two to three hours before your usual waking time;
• Keep your bedtime and wake-up times the same (within 15 to 30 minutes) on work and free days;
• Get maximum exposure to outside light in the morning and minimize exposure to light at night;
• If you intend to play sports, prefer the morning time;
• take breakfast Once you wake up, eat lunch and dinner at the same time each day – but don’t eat dinner after 7 p.m.;
• do not drink caffeine After 3pm and don’t nap after 4pm.

At the end of the six weeks, the researchers found that people who followed the recommendations closely were able to reset their biological clocks by up to two hours, meaning they went to bed and woke up two hours earlier.

Also, people reported less depression and stress. Tests of cognitive reaction time and physical strength showed that their performance in both areas peaked early in the day.

Other techniques

Of course, not everyone is an owl. Some of us are overwhelmed by the demands of work and school, or simply have poor sleep habits and suffer the consequences. Focusing on good sleep habits will help train your brain to sync your biological clock.

Start in the bedroom. Make sure your bed and pillows are comfortable and the room is cool. Don’t watch TV or work in your bedroom; You want your brain to think the bedroom is only for sleeping.

Make sure to get rid of all flashing lights, even the blue light from cell phone Or laptops can get in your way. If this is difficult to achieve, consider wearing sunglasses and blackout blinds to keep the environment dark.

Try to get rid of annoying sounds, too. Earplugs or white noise machines can be very helpful, but you can create your own with a humidifier or fan.

During the day, try to get good exposure to natural light as this will help regulate your circadian rhythm. Then establish a bedtime routine that you can follow each night. Taking a hot bath, reading a book, listening to calming music, meditating, or doing light stretching exercises are all good options.

Other suggestions for a good night’s sleep include avoiding stimulants such as nicotine or coffee after midday, especially if you suffer from insomnia. Alcohol is another no no. You might think this helps you sleep, but you are more likely to wake up during the night when your body starts to process the drink.

Also, avoid fatty foods before bed. If you have digestive problems, eating fried or fatty foods, spicy meals and even some drinks can cause heartburn and indigestion.

NS Playing sports It is the key to promoting good sleep. According to the National Sleep Foundation, just 10 minutes a day of walking, cycling, or other aerobic exercise can “significantly improve the quality of nighttime sleep.”

And of course, go to bed and wake up at the same time every day, including weekends, holidays, and vacations. Follow all of these steps and you’ll be on your way to fixing your jet lag and improving your health.

(Translated text. I read here The original is in English.)