Tired and always sleepy? You might be suffering from social jetlag

You may be familiar with jetlag—the feeling of drowsiness and lethargy experienced when we travel to a country in a different time zone which disrupts our sleeping patterns. But do you know that there is also a condition called “social” jetlag?

People who suffer from social jetlag feel almost the same effects of jetlag, but without crossing time zones. Social jetlag results when there is a discrepancy between a person’s internal body clock and the time or schedule imposed on us by social demands, such as work or school (the social clock, as opposed to the body clock).

Someone known as a night owl, for example, can stay up and alert at all hours of the night and will find it difficult to go to bed early. But what if he has to be at work by 8 am? He sets his alarm clock at 6 or earlier, but no matter how many times he hits that snooze button, he can’t quite get himself to stay fully awake. As a result, he spends his work day in a sleepy stupor. That is social jetlag.

Apparently, social jetlag can lead to potentially health-damaging consequences such as possible weight problems for people predisposed to obesity. People who suffer from social jetlag are also more likely to become smokers, and may tend to ingest more alcoholic beverages and caffeinated drinks.

Below is a video by Ludwig Maximilians University Munich’s Dr. Till Roenneberg, one of the Scientific Advisers for the PhilSHIFT (Philippine Shiftwork and Health-Interdisciplinary concepts, Fieldwork, Translational research) team, explaining social jetlag.

Given the boom in the local call center industry, a large number of the work force now work in shifts. Now more than ever, it is vital to learn how shift work affects an employee’s health and well-being. PhilSHIFT is a group working towards this end.