The early morning alarm, followed by a hectic routine and eventual rush out the door is all too familiar to most working people, especially those with kids. Then Saturday comes along to make everything all right with the promise of one thing: sleeping in.
Although this difference in routine and sleeping hours may be natural, is it bad for your health? According to recent studies, it could be.
Recent research from two studies on working individuals’ sleep patterns suggests that irregular sleep patterns, such as waking up early during the week and sleeping in on the weekend, may increase the risk of metabolic health issues.
People who had a greater difference between their sleep schedules on workdays and off-workdays were more likely to have high cholesterol, a larger waist circumference, a higher body mass index (BMI), and more insulin resistance, according to a study written up in the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism.
Additionally, working, middle-aged women were the subject of a study published in the journal SLEEP that discovered that frequent changes in sleep schedule may be connected to greater BMI and insulin resistance.
So what is the answer? Do we lobby our management and school officials for later start times? Do we wake up early on the weekends, and gasp?
The key is to aim for seven hours of sleep every night and not to worry too much about which seven hours you get.
According to the results of this research, those who have more irregular sleeping patterns may be more susceptible to diseases including diabetes, obesity, and heart disease. The word “could be” is now the key. The concept of “social jet lag,” or variations in sleep patterns between workdays and non-workdays, is relatively new. Furthermore, these studies merely demonstrate a connection between social jet lag and poor metabolic health; they do not establish a causal link.
The title “Waking up early on workdays may affect metabolic health” is, in Dr. Kohler’s opinion, “music to the ears of a lot of individuals who have difficulties getting out of bed in the morning,” but research is rarely so clear-cut.
A body of evidence indicates that persons who get less sleep often are more likely to be overweight, overeat, have a higher BMI, and have diabetes. Aside from the possibility that getting up early on workdays means getting less sleep, this may not always be the case. Perhaps a handful of you responsible people gets to bed on time on weeknights. I salute you!
You to make every effort to get seven hours of sleep each night. Compared to the notion that you should go to bed at the same time every night, this recommendation is supported by more evidence.
Individuals should consistently get seven hours of sleep every night to operate well during the day. This includes being focused, staying on target, being aware of the day, and not feeling overly cranky or weary.
Although the research is still in its early stages, these changes in wake and sleep hours may be bad for your health. Therefore, prioritize getting seven hours of sleep, and only then should you think about organizing your sleep pattern. Decide what time you need to wake up, work backward from there to determine what time you need to go to bed, and then follow that routine.
The pivot point around which all suggestions are often formed is the firm wake-up time.