Scientists have pointed to the likelihood of social jet lag with constant fatigue

Feeling constantly tired even when trying to get enough sleep may hint at social jet lag, a condition that occurs when lifestyle and work schedules do not match the body's biological clock. This was reported by Popular Science magazine on January 23.

In modern culture, early risers are especially appreciated. Stories about executives and celebrities starting the day before dawn create the illusion that success is directly related to waking up early. However, such schedules are not suitable for everyone and can be harmful to health.

Sleep and wake patterns are determined by the chronotype, which is a person's biological tendency to fall asleep and wake up at a certain time. Experts identify three main types: larks (go to bed early and get up early), owls (go to bed late and wake up late), and pigeons, an intermediate type that most people belong to.

The chronotype affects not only the quality of sleep, but also the periods of maximum mental activity and the optimal meal time. There is no universal timetable, and regular life "against the clock" leads to social jet lag.

This term was coined in 2006 by chronobiologist Till Renneberg from the University of Munich. Social jet lag is the difference in sleep time between working days and weekends. In fact, a person constantly lives between two "time zones": his biological and social.

Social jet lag occurs if you need to get up for work before the body is ready, or, conversely, regularly stay up late because of social habits. The consequences go far beyond drowsiness.

The modern lifestyle is focused on larks, who make up about 15% of the population. The rest — pigeons (about 70%) and owls (about 15%) — are forced to wake up in the middle of their biological night. Renneberg calls this "biological discrimination." According to him, late chronotypes are particularly affected in schools and universities. Even coping with early classes, they lose the critical sleep phase, during which the brain consolidates the acquired knowledge.

At the same time, the early chronotypes are not immune from problems. Studies show that larks' productivity and work accuracy drop noticeably in the afternoon.

People with social jet lag are more likely to experience obesity, smoking, and alcohol consumption. For late chronotypes, the risk is particularly high. Experts advise not to eat according to a schedule, but when you feel hungry. It is acceptable for owls and pigeons to skip an early breakfast and eat later, when the body is really "awake."

Renneberg also emphasized the importance of natural daylight in the context of adjusting the biological clock. According to him, the modern lifestyle disrupts this signal, and the suppression of melatonin makes larks even earlier and owls even later. Experts recommend spending as much time outside as possible during the day, as well as minimizing lighting after sunset.

According to the publication, following the natural cycle of light and dark helps synchronize the biological clock with the solar rhythm and reduce social jet lag — regardless of the chronotype.

On October 8 last year, Anastasia Cardiakos, a family psychologist and psychotherapist, told us how to get enough sleep. According to her, not only the number of hours is important for quality sleep, but also an emotional attitude before bedtime. The specialist emphasized the importance of ventilating the room before going to bed, and also recommended not to overeat and monitor the comfort of the bed.

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