Half of Americans are left groggy at work due to erratic sleep pattern on weekdays and weekends
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Do you have ‘social jet lag’? Half of Americans remain dizzy at work due to erratic sleep patterns — and risk depression, obesity and heart problems, study shows
- The journal JAMA Network Open published the study Tuesday in an effort to define “the mismatch between” a person’s “social clock” and “body clock.”
- ‘Body clocks’ are driven by professional commitments such as work and school, while ‘social clocks’ measure extracurricular activities
- The study participants suggested they slept about seven and a half hours on workdays and 8.2 hours on non-work days
- About 25 percent of those surveyed sleep less than seven hours on workdays
- The loss of sleep can lead to problems such as a higher risk of depression and certain types of diabetes and cardiovascular problems
Half of Americans have a destructive, inconsistent sleep schedule as they move from weeknights to weekends in a phenomenon experts call “social jet lag.”
The journal JAMA Network Open published the study Tuesday in an effort to define “the mismatch between a person’s biological time, which is determined by circadian rhythms” and their supposed “body clocks” and “social clocks.”
‘Body clocks’ are driven by professional commitments such as work and school, while ‘social clocks’ measure extracurricular activities.
The research was based on the CDC’s National Health and Nutrition Survey, which measures the habits of about 5,000 adults and children across America.
The study participants suggested they slept about seven and a half hours on workdays and 8.2 hours on non-work days, with about 25 percent of those surveyed getting less than seven hours of sleep on workdays.
A new study finds that nearly half of Americans have a destructive, inconsistent sleep schedule when they move from weeknights to weekends, a phenomenon experts call “social jet lag.”
The journal JAMA Network Open published the study Tuesday in an effort to define “the mismatch between a person’s biological time, which is determined by circadian rhythms,” and their alleged “body clocks” and “social clocks.”
The study participants suggested they slept about seven and a half hours on workdays and 8.2 hours on non-work days, with about 25 percent of those surveyed getting less than seven hours of sleep on workdays.
They say it compares well to actual jet lag, the phenomenon where a person steps off both clocks when they visit a different time zone.
Social jet lag is measured by the amount of time a person takes between the midpoint of sleep when transitioning from workdays to weekends.
The loss of sleep can lead to problems such as a higher risk of depression and certain types of diabetes and cardiovascular problems, because people with higher social jet lag tend to eat less healthily and exercise less.
Social jet lag is described as a chronic problem that can seem less obvious as it increases over time.
Aric Prather, a psychologist at the University of California, said, “Social jet lag is more insidious. It often hides in plain sight, although it can have consequences for our health.’
The research was based on the CDC’s National Health and Nutrition Survey, which measures the habits of about 5,000 adults and children across America.
Social jet lag is measured by the amount of time a person takes between the midpoint of sleep when transitioning from workdays to weekends
The loss of sleep can lead to problems such as a higher risk of depression and certain types of diabetes and cardiovascular problems, as people with higher social jet lag tend to eat less healthily and exercise less
Prather told the Wall Street Journal that it is more difficult to feel social jet lag because there is no big change in the environment like when you travel.
Sleep experts have suggested more research is needed to link it to poor health. However, current research suggests that the greater disparity between sleep patterns means the worse outcomes for your health.
Prather adds, “Maybe there’s something wrong with circadian clocks that could be causing the problem. It’s still an emerging science.’
Susheel Patil, who leads the sleep medicine program at Ohio University, suggests that changing your sleep pattern from, say, falling asleep at 8:00 p.m. Thursday and 9:00 p.m. Friday could be the equivalent of “traveling a time zone, without even traveling.”