Have you ever wondered...

Why social jet lag is bad for you?

Scientists are bringing to our attention a type of sleep disruption called “social jet lag”. It happens when you shift sleeping patterns on weekends — going to bed later and waking up later, then shifting back on week days.

A new study from the University of Arizona, US, is the first to separate social jet lag from other factors like sleep duration, sleep quality and insomnia.

When the researchers cancelled out all other sleep factors, social jet lag alone accounted for an 11% increase in the likelihood of having heart disease and a 28% greater likelihood of being in “poor health”.

The study analysed data from nearly 1,000 detailed selfadministered sleep questionnaires.

The data backed up earlier studies linking social jet lag to a host of long-term health problems, but more importantly, it isolated the condition as a risk factor on its own, regardless of other sleep habits.