Image source: Marc Johns (he has some great stuff!)
Just in time for the weekend, an article on Vox explains why we are all so tired on Mondays: social jetlag. Basically, anyone who goes to bed later (and wakes up later) on the weekends than they do on the weekend is creating a physical response similar to jetlag come Monday morning. Researchers call it social jetlag because presumably people change their sleep patterns on the weekends to appease social obligations (rather than because they feel that childlike thrill of being able to stay up as late as they want). And this phenomenon points to the rather recent finding that when you sleep is just as important as the quantity of sleep you get. In other words, not all eight hours are created equal. Thus, going to sleep and waking up at approximately the same times every day, can help you feel better and stay healthier.
Of course, when a person naturally wants to go to sleep varies. Another recent article, discussed in The Atlantic, talks about a new study that identifies two new sleep pattern types. So, in addition to night owls, who feel most energetic at night, and morning larks, who feel the most energetic in the morning, there are people who feel energetic both in the mid-to-late morning and early evening, and people who feel lethargic all day. These new types don't have cute bird names yet, and the article doesn't point out how difficult coming up with appropriate names for these new sleep patterns may be (what bird sleeps all the time? A quick google search suggests a sick bird is the only bird that sleeps all the time).
Given the health implications of sleep deprivation and erratic sleep schedules, these two studies combined suggest that people should be determining when is the best time they should go to sleep (cue bird sleep types) and then try to go to sleep at that time every day. Of course, no research has suggested what to do if you get social jetlag because you are a night owl with a normal work schedule, but maybe the future of work scheduling involves around the clock productivity fueled by capitalizing on the different sleep patterns of employees.
Of course, when a person naturally wants to go to sleep varies. Another recent article, discussed in The Atlantic, talks about a new study that identifies two new sleep pattern types. So, in addition to night owls, who feel most energetic at night, and morning larks, who feel the most energetic in the morning, there are people who feel energetic both in the mid-to-late morning and early evening, and people who feel lethargic all day. These new types don't have cute bird names yet, and the article doesn't point out how difficult coming up with appropriate names for these new sleep patterns may be (what bird sleeps all the time? A quick google search suggests a sick bird is the only bird that sleeps all the time).
Given the health implications of sleep deprivation and erratic sleep schedules, these two studies combined suggest that people should be determining when is the best time they should go to sleep (cue bird sleep types) and then try to go to sleep at that time every day. Of course, no research has suggested what to do if you get social jetlag because you are a night owl with a normal work schedule, but maybe the future of work scheduling involves around the clock productivity fueled by capitalizing on the different sleep patterns of employees.
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