- Condition occurs when your bedtime changes more than two hours and throws off your body’s natural clock, says sleep specialist Dr Kenny Pang
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Barely awake on Monday morning? It could be because you stayed up late on Friday! Photo: ShutterstockHave you ever tried to compensate for staying up late by sleeping in but found that you still felt exhausted? If so, you have probably experienced the effects of social jet lag. Dr Kenny Pang, an ear nose and throat specialist at Asia Sleep Centre in Singapore, sheds light on the causes of this condition, why teens are particularly prone to it and how to regain control of your sleep.
Social jet lag has nothing to do with flying. “It refers to a difference of more than two hours in sleep time between weekdays and weekends. We used to refer to these people as weekend warriors,” Pang said.
One typical example of individuals with social jet lag would be those who go to bed later than usual on Friday night, sleep in and stay up late the following day, and sleep in again on Sunday morning.
“What happens is they then have trouble falling asleep on Sunday night and, consequently, have a tough time waking up on Monday morning,” Pang said.
The importance of melatonin production
According to the sleep specialist and author of Sleep Matters and Sleep Solutions, this cycle of sleeping and waking up late shifts our biological clock and disrupts our circadian rhythm – our internal alarm clock that keeps time by tracking light and darkness. This is because our melatonin (a hormone that our brain produces in response to darkness that puts us into a state of quiet wakefulness that helps promote sleep) gets messed up when we sleep after a certain time.
Pang explained: “Melatonin is secreted in our brain at about 11pm. This peaks between 1am to 2am and starts to dwindle after. If one goes to bed after this period, the brain gets confused as it no longer knows when to sleep and get up.”
While social jet lag can affect anyone, teenagers are particularly susceptible to it. According to the Sleep Foundation, teenagers take longer to start producing melatonin and tend to get tired later. Ideally, if they were allowed to sleep on their schedule, many teens would sleep between 11pm or midnight until 8am or 9am. This means they are unable to get a sufficient amount of sleep, as most schools start early, which disrupts their circadian rhythm.
How sleep deprivation affects your mind and body
When our body is deprived of sleep, we might doze off in class or experience microsleep – uncontrollable short bursts of sleep that last just a few seconds. Other physical symptoms of social jet lag include trouble sleeping, feeling lethargic and moody, and irritability.
Not surprisingly, this could also affect academic performance. “Good, regular sleep habits are important for our brain to perform basic mental tasks. So being tired and unable to focus will certainly affect one’s concentration at school,” Pang said.
A prolonged lack of sleep could even lead to long-term health consequences, such as memory loss, cardiovascular disease and even Alzheimer’s disease.
What to do if you’re battling insomnia
There is still time to change your sleep schedule, however. For example, practising good sleep hygiene can help you get the rest your body needs.
You can also keep a sleep diary and take note of the time taken to fall asleep, duration of sleep and any medications taken so that you can be more aware of your sleep patterns.
“It can take some time to adopt these new habits, but once you are able to stick to a more consistent sleep schedule, you will be well on your way to fixing your social jet lag,” Pang said.
How do you get a good night’s sleep? Readers’ tips for a more restful slumber
To practise good sleep hygiene ...
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Go to bed at about the same time every day to reinforce your circadian rhythm.
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Exercise daily, preferably in the morning. Regular exercise, including meditation and yoga, can produce more restful sleep.
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Keep the temperature in your bedroom cool and comfortable.
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Keep your bedroom as quiet as possible, as a noisy environment could keep you awake.
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Get regular exposure to the outdoors or bright lights during the day and keep the bedroom dark at night to facilitate melatonin production.
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Engage in some form of relaxation just before going to sleep, such as a warm bath.
If you want to sleep well, don’t ...
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Exercise just before bed, as your heart rate and adrenaline levels in your blood need some time to slow down. Avoid exercising at least three hours before bedtime.
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Engage in stimulating activities, such as playing competitive video games or watching a horror film, just before bed.
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Have drinks containing caffeine in the evening, as these compounds contain stimulants that could keep you awake.
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Go to bed too hungry or too full. You would not be able to sleep when you are hungry, as gastric pain could keep you awake, while being too full could trigger reflux and cause chest discomfort.
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Take naps during the day if you have any form of insomnia.
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Command yourself to go to sleep, as this will backfire and make your mind and body more alert instead.
Use our printable worksheet or online interactive exercises to test your understanding of this story.