I live in one of the areas of the United States that participates in Daylight Saving Time. That means that just last week, we moved all our clocks forward one hour. Ugh. So for the past week, it's been hard to go to sleep at the new bedtime. It's been hard to get up in the morning. My body's (and not just mine) internal clock did not get the memo that what feels like 6 am is actually 7 am. People with kids and pets are telling me how hard the change is at home.
All the symptoms of jet lag, but with the added bonus of not actually going anywhere. ;-)
So can we call this jet lag? I would say yes - it seems that is the friendliest way we have to refer to this sense of being in the wrong time.
The clinical term for jet lag is circadian dysrhythmia. I know this not because I googled, but because growing up, my dad always "translated" jet lag. Just say the words to him and he'll tell you: That's circadian dysrhythmia. (This may explain, in part, my fascination with words.)
Isn't that a fantastic construction? It comes from two Latin roots and two Greek. The Latin roots are circa, meaning around or about, and dia from the Latin for day. Dysrhythmia comes from the Greek roots dys, meaning bad, and the Greek root for rhythm. So what it really means is an interruption to the rhythms of the day. I think it's safe to say we got that last week.
And for some time, I've been reading about another jet-free form of jet lag: social jet lag. Smithsonian Magazine did a nice piece on it last month Your Alarm Clock May Be Hazardous to Your Health. They credit Till Roenneberg, a professor at the University of Munich’s Institute of Medical Psychology with coining the term "social jet lag". The article explains:
As I write this, I think of my friends who will read it, and can't imagine anyone who doesn't suffer from this lack of sleep. We all have social demands on our time: work, kids, extra-curriculars. And who doesn't delay bedtime for Jimmy Fallon or Netflix?
Want to learn more about Circadian Rhythms? The biggest exposure I have had to this concept has been thanks to Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) and Ayurveda. But here is a nice article from the NIH http://www.nigms.nih.gov/Education/Factsheet_CircadianRhythms.htmhttp://www.nigms.nih.gov/Education/Factsheet_CircadianRhythms.htm
All the symptoms of jet lag, but with the added bonus of not actually going anywhere. ;-)
So can we call this jet lag? I would say yes - it seems that is the friendliest way we have to refer to this sense of being in the wrong time.
Isn't that a fantastic construction? It comes from two Latin roots and two Greek. The Latin roots are circa, meaning around or about, and dia from the Latin for day. Dysrhythmia comes from the Greek roots dys, meaning bad, and the Greek root for rhythm. So what it really means is an interruption to the rhythms of the day. I think it's safe to say we got that last week.
And for some time, I've been reading about another jet-free form of jet lag: social jet lag. Smithsonian Magazine did a nice piece on it last month Your Alarm Clock May Be Hazardous to Your Health. They credit Till Roenneberg, a professor at the University of Munich’s Institute of Medical Psychology with coining the term "social jet lag". The article explains:
... unlike the jet lag you get from shifting time zones, social jet lag is the chronic clash between what our bodies need (more sleep) and what our lives demand (being on time).There you have it. All the discomfort of jet lag, but without actually going anywhere.
As I write this, I think of my friends who will read it, and can't imagine anyone who doesn't suffer from this lack of sleep. We all have social demands on our time: work, kids, extra-curriculars. And who doesn't delay bedtime for Jimmy Fallon or Netflix?
Want to learn more about Circadian Rhythms? The biggest exposure I have had to this concept has been thanks to Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) and Ayurveda. But here is a nice article from the NIH http://www.nigms.nih.gov/Education/Factsheet_CircadianRhythms.htmhttp://www.nigms.nih.gov/Education/Factsheet_CircadianRhythms.htm
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