Know Thy Sleep
Imagine travelling from the western to eastern parts of the world to finally reach the destination at 4 am and checking the boss’s email asking to present the findings of a work tour to a potential investor in a meeting that starts sharp at 10 am.
Now we know that when we travel to the east, the hours in our days reduce, which means the body has less time to adjust and synch up with a sleep-wake cycle.
But imagine if this becomes a way of living for someone. No, this does not reference Up in the Air’s George Clooney or aviation workers.
Jet lag results from the mismatch between a person’s normal daily rhythms and a new time zone. It carries a trivial nuisance value; however, symptoms of jet lag could vary as follows:
- Difficulty sleeping at bedtime and waking up in the morning
- tiredness and exhaustion
- difficulty staying awake during the day
- poor sleep quality
- Concentration and memory problems.
Now imagine starting every day at work feeling jet lagged. Over the last 200 years, the human lifestyle has changed. This shift is due to modernisation, artificial light, the night shift inherent to our 24/7 economy, and fast travelling across time zones. This has caused a new phenomenon known as “circadian misalignment”, known as ‘social jetlag’.
Circadian Clock: Humans have an internal body clock with a self-sustained, 24-hour periodicity. It is called the circadian clock. This means it follows approximately a 24-hour period. It is an internal timekeeper unique to each person for sleep, hunger, eating patterns, hormone levels, and mood.
Daily rhythms, such as light-dark, are known as circadian rhythms from the Latin words “circa,” for about, and “dias,” for a day. Physiological processes rely on predictable circadian rhythms. These processes include sleeping and waking, cardiac function, such as heart rate and blood pressure, and metabolic processes, such as glucose, lipid, and energy metabolism. Disrupting circadian rhythms can profoundly impact cardiometabolic health and well-being. Poor cardiometabolic health can also disrupt the circadian system. This chapter will briefly introduce the cardiometabolic syndrome, the circadian system, circadian disruption, and social jetlag as a form of circadian disruption.
During a normal circadian phase, dim light causes melatonin to increase by two hours before routine sleep onset, resulting in reduced alertness levels. As a result, CBT rises, heightening the circadian signal and promoting wakefulness. Natural bright light is the most potent modifier of the circadian cycle.
People vary by chronotype based on the variation in the timing of circadian rhythms. This means earlier or later timed peaks in their physiological and behavioural features.
There are two things I wanted to explore today:
- Social jet lag
- Chronotypes.
I often sense a hush or frown when I mention “social jetlag.” I have often heard people explaining the meaning of jet lag to me in response.
Social Jetlag
Social jetlag is a disparity between natural time, determined by the internal body clock, and times dictated by social obligations. It refers to the habit of having two distinct sleeping patterns common in modern life. For example, people work more and sleep less to meet their social obligations or spend unhealthy time staring at screens of different sizes or different sleep schedules on weekdays and weekends.
It is far more complicated than a simple shift from one-time zone to another. It involves a change of routine but no change of physical location, resulting in distress and a delayed sleep schedule.
Another reason for social jetlag could be the incompatibilities between sleep schedule and chronotype. For example, early birds are less likely to experience it, whereas night owls have more sleep irregularity.
In a world where schedules are often designed for early birds, late chronotypes may need to be more productive and efficient. We would find them often burdened with social jetlag, as it takes them time to get over sleep inertia, or you must have heard the feeling of “grogginess”.
The circadian rhythm regulates the sleep-wake cycle and enables the body to perform functions throughout the 24 hours. Therefore, paying attention to one’s sleep habits, subsequent dips and peaks in productivity, when the person naturally starts feeling tired or sleepy, and when they wish to wake up instead of being ‘jolted’.
Four chronotypes
Chronotype is an expression of individual circadian rhythmicity related to sleep, diet, and physical activity patterns, including exercise.
It can be classified into morningness, intermediateness, and eveningness. In truth, chronotypes fall on a spectrum with most people lying somewhere in between.
Researchers refer to these in-between people as intermediate types or “hummingbirds.” Some researchers have now added a fourth category, “ bimodal” , to reinforce the fact that some people identify more with morningness in some ways and with eveningness in other aspects.
Dr Breuss describes four distinct types: The Lion, The Bear, The Wolf, and The Dolphin.
- The Lion: They tend to be sticklers regarding their sleep routine (early to bed and early to rise), which serves them well. They have characteristics like being disciplined, optimistic, goal-driven, and good sleepers. Lions are the ultimate morning lark.
- The Bear: They have inconsistent sleep routines and follow a solar schedule. They will build sleep debt and catch up on weekends. This chronotype applies to over half the population. Bears can push through from morning to late in the evening, leading to fatigue.
- The Wolf: The night owls prefer a later start to the morning and are at their most creative and productive later in the evening. Regular work and school times are difficult for Wolves as they tend to stay up later in the evenings, which can lead to sleep deprivation.
- The Dolphin: Dolphins are restless sleepers. Their circadian rhythm is reversed, and chronic insomniacs fall within this category. Dolphins tend to be tired during the day with nervous energy at night-time, waking up frequently.
Fun fact: Notice the categorisation as animals and not the feathered friend comparison (larks, owls & hummingbirds); a nod to the fact that we are mammals, not birds. The classic definitions of night owl/morning lark chronotypes — a person’s tendency to sleep or feel more alert and awake at a specific time — are familiar to most of us.
Know thy sleep
This is a significant public health concern, as it could affect two-thirds of the population. People who had to stay home during the pandemic experienced less social jetlag and better sleep conditions. Nevertheless, there was a shift in chronotypes, leading to increased sleep problems.
Request and highlight to your place of work the value of keeping buffer zones for schedules.
You can use the Bedtime calculator to determine the best bedtime depending on wake time.
Couples
Can tension between the two partners be a mismatch in their chronotype?
Sleep divorce is a common reason for couples to break up, but it can be prevented by taking a sleep divorce. In addition, 1 in 4 people in relationships will sleep in different areas with a partner, and a third of them will report waking up at least in a different location the following day.
What’s next? Do we include it on dating profiles now as a compatibility marker?
Another way of a sleep divorce could also mean you buy two-bed and put them side-by-side in the same room; therefore, the disruption and physical destruction that happens by wave sheets and movement is decreased.
The common belief is that if we’re not sleeping together, we’re not.
In reality, when a couple sleeps well, sex hormones and our desire to be intimate with our partners are increased if we get extra hours of sleep.
Reflecting on your sleep patterns is one way to take advantage of the best times of the day for more activity.
Are you someone who feels ready and alert first thing in the morning?
More energy in the evening?
Tribe and Vibe
Early birds prefer early wake and sleeping times, while night owls prefer late wake and night times, leading to cognitive peaks in performance late in the day.
This natural chronotype variation can benefit society by distributing the burden and responsibility among night owls, early birds, and everyone.
The typical 9 to 5 job does not work for everyone, leaving many with sleep deprivation and daytime fatigue.
An evolutionary perspective suggests that a partnership between a night owl and an early bird does not have to be antagonistic.
On the contrary, a fusion of night owls and early birds, with everyone in between, can benefit organisations and society. Perhaps it is idealistic, but splitting the load into elected shifts that complement chronotype could result in a more equitable distribution of the population.
Why burn candles at both ends?
This natural chronotype variation can benefit society by sharing the load and responsibility between night owls, early birds, and everyone.
The typical 9 to 5 does not work for everyone, leaving many struggling with sleep deprivation and daytime fatigue.
For most adults, good sleep means
- 7+ hours each night
- Not waking up frequently
- Going to bed and waking up at roughly the same time each day
- Waking up feeling refreshed
Sleep Hygiene
Sticking to a healthy sleep routine over time can help you lead a longer, more productive life. You can use the Bedtime calculator to determine the best bedtime depending on wake time.
Self care or debt?
Sleep can sometimes feel like self-care that can wait or a reward you need to earn. But the opposite is true. While you sleep, your body is busy healing, repairing, learning, and preventing chronic diseases. That’s how healthy sleep makes you refreshed and ready to take on tomorrow and helps you lead a longer, more fulfilling life.
The most important are the strategies for creating a workable schedule.
- Maintain work hours during which one feels most creative
- Maintaining the same sleep schedule even on weekends
- Taking a walk or winding down to signal to oneself after finishing one’s work
- Avoid caffeine first thing in the morning
- The last meal should occur 3 hours before bedtime to not interfere with sleep.
Instead of fighting against a schedule that does not fit your body’s natural rhythm, recognising and knowing your chronotype can help you find a routine to make the most of your day and feel more rested, ready to take on your day — whenever that starts!
