Social Jet Lag Is A Health Hazard
THE UNHEALTHIEST PART of travelling is jet lag. Even if you didn't fly anywhere this year, Daylight Savings had the same effect on you.
It takes a few days to re-adjust your internal clock known as the circadian rhythm. When your body is out of sync with the cycles of day and night, there are physical and mental health consequences.
There are several factors that influence it like:
Light & Dark (sunlight, indoor lighting)
Mealtime Windows
Activity Levels
Out-of-sync circadian biology disrupts the body's natural functions. For example your cellular repair systems and hormone cycles will be impacted. But the body is resilient, and can overcome the challenges of occasional international travel.
The problem is you likely have jet lag embedded into your lifestyle that you're not aware of even without travel.
Social Jet Lag.
It happens every weekend. You wake up at a regular time throughout the week. But then Saturday night you stay up way past your usual bedtime because you cram your social life into that small window. Next morning you sleep in 3 or 4 hours past your normal wake-up time.
You'll have temporarily shifted your circadian rhythm and naturally want to stay up later on Sunday. So when you go to bed earlier that night, it'll be difficult to fall asleep. Then Monday morning your energy levels are shot. You're less productive, in a bad mood, and have brain fog throughout the day.
By the time you re-adjust to your normal rhythm later in the week, you throw it all off again on Friday night. This is the vicious cycle of social jet lag.
Your body craves consistency, and every time you shock it by staying up late or sleeping in, you disturb the natural processes which impact your overall health. Negative consequences include but are not limited to:
Type 2 Diabetes
Poor Sleep Quality
Suppressed Immunity
Increased Cancer Risk
Cardiovascular Disease
Reduced Cognitive Function
Increased Anxiety & Depression
Decreased Physical Performance
I get it. You're not a robot. You don't want to live a completely sterile, boring life. And modernity has made it impossible to live a 100% circadian-friendly lifestyle.
I'm not telling you to give up late night dinner parties with close friends. You don't need to be perfect. But you should make these decisions as well-informed as possible, especially if you're noticing chronic health issues you didn't know were relevant to social jet lag.
So here's a few ideas for incremental improvement in your circadian biology.
Consistent Waking Time. If you are going to stay up past your normal bedtime, try to get up close to your usual waking time even if you sleep in a bit. You produce hormones like cortisol in a rhythm at the same time every morning to boost wakefulness. If you keep that consistent, the easier it will be to get back into your weekday routine without tanking your energy level on Monday morning.
Limit Evening Blue Light Exposure. Turn on the blue-light filter in your phone. Virtually all smartphones and digital devices have options to decrease blue light emission from screens (red-tints the screen). Blue light at night destroys melatonin production which is required for good sleep. You can also wear blue light blocking glasses. (Artificial light at night is also generally associated with higher cancer rates)
Wind-Down Routines. Have a practice that down-regulates your nervous system. This will help you fall asleep faster and improve sleep quality. Some relaxation practices include reading, journaling, stretching, myofascial release, breathwork, hot showers and meditation. Get creative! Do what works for you. Doing these anytime during the day also cultivates a more flexible nervous system. That's why float therapy improves sleep even if you floated during the day.
Again, don't strive for perfection. Social jet lag isn't black or white. Live your life and enjoy it. Just be conscious about small things you can improve upon to limit long-term chronic disease. And if you are suffering from an undiagnosed health issue you can't seem to figure out the cause of, you might want to take a closer look at your circadian lifestyle habits which might include excessive social jet lag.
But sometimes a bigger intervention is required if you've been stuck in this pattern for a while. So if you're looking for a total reset of your nervous system, Enter Your Email below for a special First Time Float Offer, and try Float Therapy.
