Fitness•Sep 11, 2024

What Is Social Jet Lag—and Is It Throwing off Your Fitness Routine?

By The Sculpt Society

We all know how it goes—during the week, you set your alarm for 7AM and try to stick to a strict, lights out at 10PM policy. But on the weekends, you’re going out with friends, binge-watching shows, and scrolling on TikTok late into the night. And of course, you want to sleep in a little and get a more relaxed start to your Saturday. Relatable! Now, here’s the bad news. If your weekday and weekend sleep patterns are significantly misaligned, you might feel more sluggish, spacey, and even stressed as a result. This discrepancy is called “social jet lag.” It refers to the mismatch between your biological circadian rhythm (or internal body clock) and your social or “me time” schedule, resulting from the differences between sleep patterns on work days and weekends. Your side effects can mirror actual jet lag—more exhausted, less alert, even moodier. Social jet lag has also been linked to a variety of health issues, from an uptick in anxiety levels to metabolic disorders. It can also take a serious toll on your fitness routine.

How does social jet lag impact your workouts?

No surprise, social jet lag negatively affects exercise. Here’s why your workout routine might be suffering as a result of late weekend nights out:

Social jet lag leads to a decrease in energy levels (and often, motivation). The disconnect between your natural circadian rhythm and your weekend social calendar can lead to you feeling fatigued, sluggish, and overall less motivated to stick to your regular workouts. Particularly at the start of the week, you might feel more low energy—making it harder for you to hit up the new workout of the week on Monday.

You might hit a workout slump. Social jet lag disrupts your circadian rhythm, potentially leading to slower reaction times, and decreased strength or endurance during your cardio sessions.

Your recovery takes a hit. Sleep is essential for muscle repair and recovery. Since social jet lag leads to sleep deprivation, or, at the very least, inconsistent sleep patterns, your body likely won’t recover as effectively from the previous day’s workout. Your muscles might feel more sore, and you could even open yourself up to a higher risk of injury.

Your cortisol levels increase. Not getting enough sleep elevates levels of the “stress hormone”—cortisol. Higher cortisol levels make it harder for you to build muscle and affect overall workout performance. Also, you might feel more stressed and anxious as you go about your day. Hard pass on all of the above.

You’ll be less focused. Cognitive fatigue or being “in a fog” mentally makes working out feel that much more difficult. The struggle is real.

Social jet lag negatively impacts your metabolism. If you’re trying to build muscle, getting enough sleep is key.

How to combat social jet lag

To stay motivated and get the results you’re looking for, it’s important to aim for consistent sleep patterns—yes, even over the weekend!—so your circadian rhythm stays more stable. Here’s how to beat social jet lag and keep hitting those fitness goals:

Stick to a consistent sleep schedule. Sure, you’re going to have a late night or a lazy morning here and there, but give it your best shot to go to bed and wake up at roughly the same time every day (give or take an hour). This will help synchronize your body’s internal clock, and you’ll find it easier to both fall asleep and get up.

Practice good sleep hygiene. A cool, dark bedroom is everything. You’ll want to minimize exposure to both bright lights, and blue lights from phones and laptops. If your bedroom gets a lot of natural light in the morning, you may want to invest in blackout curtains or a silk sleeping mask. And sticking to a nighttime routine will help signal to your brain that it’s bedtime. Some suggestions: winding down with a chill playlist, doing some gentle yoga or stretching, making a tea before reading in bed, doing your evening skincare routine…we’re feeling sleepier already.

Get your morning rays. Exposure to AM sunlight will help regulate your circadian rhythm, and you’ll kick off the day feeling more energized.

Limit caffeine and alcohol. Both notorious sleep disruptors.

Schedule your workouts for earlier in the day. Avoid training hard in the evening, because it’ll wake your brain and body up. You can do mellower workouts, like a yoga nidra class before bed, but higher-intensity workouts will make it more difficult to fall asleep.

It’s fun to stay out late on a Friday girls’ night, and it’s relaxing to sleep in on a lazy Sunday—no one is saying otherwise! But unfortunately, social jet lag can have a significant impact on workout performance, and your mood and well-being in general. You don’t have to stick to a super-rigorous bedtime during weekends, but becoming more mindful of your body’s natural rhythms and making small changes—sticking to a more consistent sleep schedule, working out earlier in the day, and staying offline before bed—will help reduce the effects of social jet lag. You’ll sleep better, feel more energetic and focused, and absolutely crush your next dance cardio class.

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