How to fight social jet lag
As a new study reveals that sleeping in at the weekend could lead to obesity and illness, we take a look at how you can avoid catching it in the first place
Sleeping in at the weekend could be driving obesity and illness, according to a new study
Photo: ALAMY
As your alarm clangs at the crack of dawn to wake you up for another dreary
day of work, the thought a weekend lie-in could be just about the only thing
keeping you going.
But it appears that even this one guilt-free pleasure is about to be ruined
because according a new scientific study, sleeping in at the weekend could
be driving obesity and illness.
Researchers have discovered that the body clock becomes confused by changing
sleep patterns when people are not at work, which they have termed “social
jet lag”.
The study revealed that people who have a greater difference in sleep between
free days and work days are more likely to be obese and suffer from
obesity-related disease, than those with little to no difference between
these timings.
Making an effort to go to bed and wake up at roughly the same time every day -
or failing that, as close as possible - can help establish a more balanced
pattern and reduce the likelihood that you will suffer from social jet lag.
We take a look at some of the ways to do this.
Avoid caffeine in the afternoon
A cup of coffee can be a great way to overcome your morning drowsiness, but it lingers in your body for a number of hours.
So by avoiding caffeine in the afternoon - be it coffee, tea, chocolate, and even certain medications - you can be sure it will be out of your system by the evening.
Make time for exercise
People who are physically active tend to sleep better than their sedentary counterparts. Set yourself a moderate target, such as 20 minutes of exercise each day. Not only will this help you sleep at night, but it will also help you avoid an early death.
Have an early, light dinner
Heavy meals can take longer to digest, and, if eaten late, make it harder to fall asleep.
If you have a light dinner at least two or three hours before you go to bed, your food should all be digested by the time you try to fall asleep – this is better for your metabolism too.
Create a soothing bedtime routine
Do the same, relaxing activity each night before you go to bed. For example, you could have a hot bath, do some gentle stretches, or some light reading. If you repeat this each night, your body will start to associate those activities with sleep.
Exposure to sunlight
Sunlight plays a key role in regulating our sleep cycles. If you want to have more energy in the morning and want to feel sleepier at night, try getting more sun exposure in the morning, and less in the afternoon and evening.
A cup of coffee can be a great way to overcome your morning drowsiness, but it lingers in your body for a number of hours.
So by avoiding caffeine in the afternoon - be it coffee, tea, chocolate, and even certain medications - you can be sure it will be out of your system by the evening.
Make time for exercise
People who are physically active tend to sleep better than their sedentary counterparts. Set yourself a moderate target, such as 20 minutes of exercise each day. Not only will this help you sleep at night, but it will also help you avoid an early death.
Have an early, light dinner
Heavy meals can take longer to digest, and, if eaten late, make it harder to fall asleep.
If you have a light dinner at least two or three hours before you go to bed, your food should all be digested by the time you try to fall asleep – this is better for your metabolism too.
Create a soothing bedtime routine
Do the same, relaxing activity each night before you go to bed. For example, you could have a hot bath, do some gentle stretches, or some light reading. If you repeat this each night, your body will start to associate those activities with sleep.
Exposure to sunlight
Sunlight plays a key role in regulating our sleep cycles. If you want to have more energy in the morning and want to feel sleepier at night, try getting more sun exposure in the morning, and less in the afternoon and evening.
