Study Links ‘Social Jetlag’ to Obesity

Waking up to an alarm clock might seem like a good way to get to work on time. But researchers say it’s an example of “social jetlag” that can lead to sleep loss and obesity. Social jetlag is the mismatch between the body’s internal clock and people’s actual schedules. It leads to sleep deprivation. Needing an alarm clock to wake up, for example, is a sign that you haven’t slept enough. German researchers have spent the last 10 years putting together a database on sleep patterns worldwide. In a new study, they found that people with the most severe “social jetlag” also are more likely to be overweight. The journal Current Biology published the study online May 10.