THE office Christmas party, after-work date nights and a weekend packed with festive fun may sound exciting on paper.
But if you find yourself snoozing your alarm come Saturday morning, you could be suffering from social jet lag.
The festive season can leave you feeling worse for wearShutterstock
Social jet lag, a term coined by German researcher Till Roennenberg, professor of chronobiology at Ludwig-Maximilian University in Munich, is when you have two distinct sleep patterns, usually between the weekdays and weekends but it can differ.
It can cause a person to feel like they are jet-lagged, as though they have lost time and are sleepy and fatigued.
Social jet lag is governed by a disruption in our body’s natural clock.
We are hardwired to wake up when it starts getting light, and sleep when it’s dark.
But when social lives are busy, we often sleep out of sync with the body clock, which can cause sleep issues and health problems.
An example would be getting a late night on Thursday, having to wake early on Friday, having a late night on Friday and Saturday, before waking at midday on Sunday and napping later in the day.
Sunday night’s sleep is poor and by Monday morning, you’re exhausted.
Prof Roenneberg is concerned that we’re asking our bodies to snap into sleep when it’s most convenient for us.
He says: “Our internal clocks are getting later because we’re inside too much and don’t get enough daylight.
“We then put the lights on in the evening so we’re always giving our bodies a dim light, telling it should be awake when perhaps it shouldn’t – this is why 80 per cent of us now need an alarm clock to wake up.”
Researchers at the Erasmus University Medical Centre in Rotterdam discovered that two thirds of us experience at least one hour of social jetlag a week, and a third experience two hours or more.
That’s the equivalent of flying from London to Israel and back each week without so much as a falafel.
Dr Guy Meadows, co-founder and clinical lead of Sleep School, says: “A bustling social life can significantly impact our health and sleep.
“Inconsistent schedules between weekdays and weekends disrupt our natural sleep pattern similarly to travel jet lag.
“This can lead to insomnia, lethargy, and cravings, which can result in chronic illness, obesity and diabetes.
“The overstimulation from a busy social life can make it challenging for our brains to unwind, leaving us exhausted.”
Throw in the odd expresso martini and you have an all-night brain party on your hands.
How to fix it
Late-night eggnog between last-minute shopping trips and end-of-year deadlines is an inevitable shortcut to burnout before you can say ‘Happy New Year’.
So, Dr Nerina Ramlakhan, sleep expert and author of Tired but Wired, suggests putting some clear boundaries in place.
“Saying ‘no’ to social events needs to be practised and used more,” she says.
“Our sleep is more restorative when we seek regular, intermittent rest during the day.
“Many people think that sleep will make up the energy deficit when burning the candle at both ends but it can only go so far.
“By saying no, you’re saying ‘yes’ to more energy, better health, and a happier human being in general.
“When you get clear on your ‘why?’ it is easier to be more purposeful in saying no.”
As uncomfortable as it can be, Julia Esteve Boyd, The Etiquette Consultant, believes that how we cancel is far more important than the cancellation itself.
She says: “Calling them is much more personable and considerate.
“Acknowledge that you’re letting them down and tell them that you regret it.
“Next, don’t lie as it’ll hurt the person’s feelings far more if you’re found out.
“Be honest, apologise and try to smooth the waters by suggesting another day to get together.”
Channel your chronotype
Although the solution may seem as simple as winding down the social calendar, experts say people would be better off if they knew what chronotype they are.
According to Prof Roenneberg, humans show large differences in the preferred timing of their sleep and activity and can be grouped into ‘chronotypes’.
Chronotypes are regulated by the body/circadian clock (physical, mental, and behavioural changes following a 24-hour cycle).
The most commonly known chronotypes are night owls and morning larks.
There are four sleep chronotypes – lion, bear, wolf and dolphin
Whether you’re one or the other, if you’re having late nights during the party season, but early mornings due to commitments, you’re going to feel social jet lag.
But generally, Prof Roenneberg discovered that those who have late chronotypes (night owls) show the largest differences in sleep timing between work and free days, leading to considerable sleep debt, for which they compensate on weekends.
He also says: “An early person may complain that they regularly wake in the middle of the night but it’s because they’re under the pressure of wanting to be a late person and think they are boring to leave social events to sleep at 8pm when they should.
“Then the internal clock comes at 4am and says ‘I don’t care what time you went to bed, we’re getting up now’.”
Cancelling plans or arranging your social calendar around your chronotype may seem woo-woo, but it may simply be a case of leaving early or arriving later if the other person is a different chronotype to you.
If you’re a morning lark, try and schedule meet-ups with friends for weekend mornings or lunches instead of weeknights.
That way, you stick to your early nights and early mornings.
If you’re a night owl, things are trickier because your work schedule may not allow you those extra hours of sleep in the morning, when it suits your body clock.
It is possible to transition to a ‘morning person’ by sticking to a strict sleep schedule over time.
But, given the time of year, it might be tricky.
Instead, don’t worry too much about your bedtime, and if you are sleepy the next day, use it as an opportunity to get an early night.
Sleep physiologist Stephanie Romiszewski previously told The Sun not to compensate for sleepiness by having a nap, and make the most of built-up ‘sleep drive’.
She said: “Move on with your day and you should find within a few days, your body has no other choice but to actually make you sleepy earlier.
“Eventually, you should start feeling sleepy earlier.”
Stephanie said the most important thing to aim for is a consistent wake-up time, even on the weekends.
She said: “What you want to start doing is waking up at the same time every day and still giving yourself permission to go to bed later.
“Everybody believes that their evening time is going to be much more influential to how sleepy they feel.
“But you cannot build sleepiness over a couple of hours. It starts from the morning.”
Bespoke bedtimes
Prof Roenneberg claims that “awareness of our individual sleep will help 40 to 50 per cent of people who have sleep problems”.
By distinguishing what chronotype you are, not only can you find the optimal times for you to sleep, but also to get work done, exercise and drink caffeine.
For example, if you’re a night owl, it’s advised to leave your most important tasks for later in the day or even the evening, if you can.
Write a to-do list for the next morning to help you focus through the groggy morning.
AlamyFind yourself awake when you should be sleeping? You might be a night owl[/caption]
Morning larks may naturally find the start of their day most productive and even get themselves to the gym before work, but would fare better leaving their easy tasks until the afternoon.
So, how can we tell what chronotype we are? Prof Roenneberg suggests choosing a week when you have little obligations (the post-Christmas lull, for example) to go to bed when you’re tired and wake up unaided.
By the fifth or sixth night, you’ll get a sense of how much sleep your body needs.
An 8pm bedtime may be unheard of to anyone over the age of twelve, but filling our evenings with social obligations may be the roadblock between us and a really good night’s kip.
WHAT CHRONOTYPE ARE YOU?
Keep energy levels as well as your social standing by understanding your circadian animal
LION
The chronotype most closely associated with being an “early bird” is the lion.
You sleep earlier than bears and get up earlier in the morning, which is when you’re most productive up until noon.
TIP: Focus on winding down between 4pm and 9pm to promote healthy sleep.
WOLF
Wolves are the most closely associated with being a “night owl” among the chronotypes.
You stay up after dark, sleep until well after the sun rises and are most productive in the afternoon or evening. Mornings are definitely not your favourite time of the day!
TIP: Engage in creative tasks between 5pm and 9pm when you’re feeling your most inspired.
BEAR
You sleep after the sun sets and are awake when the sun rises. It’s the most common chronotype as half of the population are bears.
You are typically more productive before noon, may experience a decrease in energy between 2pm and 4pm and you consider yourself a generally good sleeper.
TIP: Schedule meetings in the morning and finish before late afternoon.
DOLPHIN
Unlike bears, dolphins don’t stick to any particular sleep schedule. You’re re easily disturbed by light and/or sound and are a little bit of every other sleep chronotype in one.
You sleep at different times, find yourself awake at odd hours and find yourself to be most productive between 10am to 2pm.
TIP: Take small, regular breaks throughout the day to recharge.