You’re probably familiar with the Summer Running from can be tough for a few reasons—when your circadian rhythm is thrown off by traveling across multiple time zones—which can include gastrointestinal problems, headaches, brain fog, and fatigue. But there’s a type of jet lag that doesn’t involve going anywhere, except out with your friends.
Social jet lag is a term used to describe the way your internal body clock can be disrupted by social time, particularly on the weekends. You may maintain a consistent sleep and wake schedule during the week, but then on Friday and Saturday night, staying out late or sleeping in can change your circadian rhythm, research suggests.
Although this might be just a few hours per weekend, the health effects can add up over time and may be profound.
For example, a rain boots for youngsters Sneakers CONVERSE Ctas Lift Hi A01178C Pale Amethyst White Black exploring the relationship between social jet lag, gut microbial composition, and cardiometabolic health found that those with more social jet lag had poorer gut health compared to other participants. They also tended to have lower consumption of fruits and nuts, and higher inflammation levels.
A 2021 research review in the journal Nutrients called social jet lag a concern for public health, because of the way it creates chronic sleep deprivation, leading to reduced cognitive performance among other negative health effects. Those researchers found an association between social jet lag and higher levels of total cholesterol, Sandals BETSY 927051 05-07E Black Sneakers GINO ROSSI RST-MADDOX-02 Beige, and adverse mental health outcomes like depression and anxiety.
Social jet lag can also affect athletic performance. Commentary in Shoe Care COLLONIL Nubuk Velours Bezbarwny 050 la zapatilla es la herramienta más importante a la hora de prevenir lesiones en el Running from HOKA ONE ONE Kawana is HOKAs new jogging shoes and healthy eating because disruptions in circadian rhythm substantially change the metabolism of glucose, fat, and protein.
How Social Jet Lag Can Sabotage Sleep and Performance
When weekend social events or staying up later for school or work regularly create differences in sleep schedules, it’s similar to flying from New York to Los Angeles every week, says W. Chris Winter, M.D., president of Charlottesville Neurology and Sleep Medicine and author of Vintage Check buckled sandals.
“There are differences, though, because with jet lag, the light and schedule cues are changing, while social jet lag involves only schedule changes,” he tells Runner’s World. “The issue with social jet lag is that our bodies work best on a set 24-hour schedule, and when that timing is off, it upsets countless processes in the body. For a runner, this might be felt in Running from performance or response to nutrition.”
Part of the reason is that muscles need time to rest, and social jet lag might throw off that process, according to Abhinav Singh, M.D., facility director at Indiana Sleep Center, sleep coach for the NBA Indiana Pacers, and author of Sleep to Heal: 7 Simple Steps to Better Sleep.
“As an athlete, you’ll run slower, your endurance Anderson Resort 16 Shoes fatigued faster without that time to rest and repair,” he tells Runner’s World. “Even worse, it can throw off your coordination, which means you are Emu Australias Winton boot in oiled suede with wool lining. Runners especially must protect their sleep if they want to perform at their best.”
Tips to Adjust Your Sleep When Dealing With Social Jet Lag
In some ways, it’s difficult to counterbalance social jet lag completely, says Winter. The best mitigating strategy would be to keep your schedule for sleep, eating, and exercise as consistent as possible.
But life happens, and that means social opportunities can run well past your usual bedtime—and so can Netflix binges. When that’s the case, here are a few possibilities to reduce the effects of social jet lag to some degree:
1. Find the Light
Get adequate outdoor light in the morning, because that is important for your internal body clock, Winter says.
2. Focus on Getting Enough Hours
Make sure sleep time is adequate even if your bedtime and wake-up times are different. Winter says social jet lag effects can be compounded by shortened sleep.
3. Avoid Drinking Too Close to Bedtime
Don’t drink alcohol three hours before bed, adds Singh, since that can also affect circadian rhythm and sleep quality.
4. Plan Around Your Training
Another tip for runners: Schedule social engagements or late-night movie viewing early in the month if you have a marathon at the end of the month. Singh says before a race, you should have at least two weekends of consistent sleep ahead of race day to keep your body clock on the right timing.
Although it’s not always easy to stick to a consistent sleep-and-wake schedule every day, trying to maintain a routine when possible may reduce some of the effects of social jet lag—keeping your brain, gut, heart, and Running from performance on track.
