I never understood this. If I go to bed early and wake up early I feel amazing. But if I go to bed late and wake up late I feel like shit (I don’t have a set routine I’m used to so it’s not that)
In: Other
The very simplistic answer is it has to do with your body’s circadian rhythm. This regulates your body and works in a 24 hour cycle.
Your body’s cycle reacts to the environment around you and is heavily impacted by light. When it gets darker, your body knows it is time to relax and settle down.
But even though the actual darkness level at 10pm and 1am might be the same, the amount of hours that have passed since the time it has been light outside is different. Your body at 10pm feels like it is ready for bed. The more time you spend not going to bed after 10pm (or whatever hour), the more your body’s circadian rhythm is being disrupted.
So despite getting the same amount of sleep, your body’s circadian rhythm is still being messed with.
Think of it like music. Listening to loud music while you’re at a concert is totally fine. You might love it. Listening to loud music while trying to solve a math problem is disruptive. Just like you don’t always react to loud music the same way, your body doesn’t always react to 8 hours of sleep the same way.
You get more deep sleep earlier in the night. Sleeping same hours on a delayed phase is less restful because you got less deep sleep.
Weird. I’m the opposite. I work early morning shift and feel terrible on work days, but if I go to bed late and get up late on my days off I feel better even though it’s the same amount of sleep. Apparently my circadian rhythm sets my best sleep at the time of morning when I have to get up for work. Yours is probably set for earlier.
It’s because you are not used to it. It’s not your regular schedule.
I have worked 2nd shift for over 10 years, and have had a 3am – 11pm sleep schedule for essentially a decade. I feel just fine. Suddenly going to 10pm – 6am would be a jolt.
Latest Answers