Bad news for those who enjoy snoozing in until midday at the weekends - turns out, it’s not good for your health according to the latest findings of the Zoe The Big IF Study.
Zoe lead scientist Dr Tim Spector shared the team’s latest findings in a video – and we’ll be thinking twice about whether we laze in bed for a couple of extra hours when the weekend hits.
100,000 people have participated in the study which explores intermittent fasting and the effects it has on the body – but those who took part were also asked about their sleeping habits.
In the video, Dr Spector shared: “We found that you tend to sleep more on days off than working days - not a surprise really - but how much the difference is what we call social jet lag.
“So if you’re waking up an hour later at the weekend than you would on a weekday, that’s an hour of social jet lag.”
Four out of 10 participants in the study reported that they wake up at the same time regardless of whether it’s a day off or not – meaning that the majority of people opt to snooze for longer on their days off.
Dr Spector added: “Most of us therefore have some form of social jet lag – and the average is 45 minutes.”
But, although those 45 minutes can feel deliciously cosy, it turns out the team at Zoe found that indulging in them can have negative effects on your health.
“This is associated with some unhealthy eating patterns and has also been associated with health risks such as blood sugar levels going up, fat levels going up and increased risk of metabolic diseases such as diabetes,” explained Dr Spector.
“We suggest trying to get enough sleep in a consistent way and minimise that social jet lag – obviously there is always the occasional exception – but all the data is showing that the more you minimise the better it is for your health.”
Excuse us while we set an alarm this weekend.