Posted on Jun 16, 2017, 6 a.m.
By Kyle McLean
Research finds that social jet lag, which occurs when you go to bed later and wake up later on weekends than during the week, is associated with negative health outcomes.
What is “social jet lag”? That occurs when you purposely go to bed later and wake up later on the weekends compared with during the week. It has been found to be associated with increased sleepiness, fatigue, being in a worse mood, and poorer health consequences. Every hour is also associated with an 11 percent increase in the possibility of heart disease. These effects are independent of sleep duration and symptoms of insomnia, which are related to both social jet lag and health.
Social jet lag was studied by a research team headed by Michael A. Grandner, PhD, MTR, the Sleep and Health Research Program director and the senior author of the study. Data was utilized from the Sleep and Healthy Activity, Diet, Environment, and Socialization (SHADES) study, which analyzed the responses given by 984 adults who were between 22 and 60 years old.
The Sleep Timing Questionnaire subtracted weekday from weekend sleep. Overall health used a standardized scale and was self-reported. Survey questions assessed sleep duration, sleepiness, fatigue, insomnia, cardiovascular disease, and more.
To promote optimal health, the American Academy of Sleep Medicine (AASM) strongly suggests that adults sleep seven or more hours each night on a regular basis. Healthy sleep also requires good quality and appropriate timing. AASM promotes high quality, patient-centered care through its membership of 10,000 accredited member sleep centers, physicians, scientists, other health care professionals, and individual members.
The research abstract was presented on June 5 in Boston at SLEEP 2017, the Associated Professional Sleep Societies LLC 's 31st Annual Meeting, a joint venture of the Sleep Research Society and the American Academy of Sleep Medicine.
Sierra B. Forbush, an undergraduate research assistant in the University of Arizona's Sleep and Health Research Program and the study's lead author, states that the study results suggest that an inexpensive, simple, and preventative treatment for heart disease and other health problems is a regular sleep schedule. Sleep regularity plays a significant role in our over-all health.
Abstract Title: Sociodemographics, Poor Overall Health, Cardiovascular Disease, Depression, Fatigue, and Daytime Sleepiness Associated with Social Jetlag Independent of Sleep Duration and Insomnia Abstract ID: 1067