The modern social calendar is often at odds with our biological requirements. Whether it is a holiday season, a string of late-night weddings, or the occasional weekend party, our internal systems pay a heavy price for social jetlag.
We often view the resulting exhaustion as a simple debt of hours, but as Dr Sneha S consultant internal medicine at Manipal Hospital, Kanakpura Road, Bengaluru, explains, the reality is far more disruptive. “When our schedules shift abruptly, our internal clocks become desynchronised, leading to sleep that is light, fragmented, and fundamentally unable to perform its restorative functions,” she shares. Repairing a shattered sleep schedule is not a matter of sheer willpower or ‘catching up’ on a Sunday morning. Instead, it requires a strategic realignment of the biological signals—light, temperature, and metabolism—that govern our circadian rhythms.
The great debate: Cold turkey versus gradual shifts
When Monday morning arrives after a weekend of late-night festivities, the most common dilemma is whether to force ourselves out of bed at the usual time or to sleep in and adjust slowly. According to Dr Salil Bendre, director of pulmonology and sleep medicine at Nanavati Max Super Speciality Hospital in Mumbai, there is no one-size-fits-all clinical answer.
“The effectiveness of a ‘cold turkey’ reset versus a gradual shift is highly subjective. However, the physiology of the body clock favours consistency. When we shift our wake-up times gradually—by perhaps 15 to 30 minutes each day—we provide our brain with reliable time cues. These cues, primarily linked to the cycle of light and darkness, allow the body to anchor itself. While some may thrive on an immediate return to routine, the gradual approach reduces the shock to the system and makes the transition more sustainable in the long term,” he explains.
Light: The master regulator
Our internal clocks are not just influenced by the sun, they are governed by the intensity, duration, and wavelength of light. Bendre emphasises that our sleep-wake cycle is essentially a response to environmental lighting.
To reset a compromised schedule, the first tool at your disposal is direct morning sunlight. “Exposure to bright light early in the day sends a powerful signal to the brain’s suprachiasmatic nucleus (the body`s master clock) that the day has begun. This suppresses melatonin and triggers the release of cortisol, setting the timer for when you will feel tired later that evening.” Bendre notes. In regions where natural sunlight is scarce, artificial bright light therapy lamps can serve as an effective clinical substitute.
Conversely, the ‘blue-leaning’ short-wavelength light emitted by digital screens acts as a disruptor. “Engaging with phones or tablets late at night creates a delay in the body`s timing signals. Clinical evidence suggests that this exposure not only makes it harder to fall asleep but also degrades the quality of the sleep that follows. To fix your cycle, a digital sunset is mandatory,” he advises.
The thermal secret to deep sleep
One of the most overlooked aspects of sleep hygiene is temperature regulation. Our bodies are programmed to experience a drop in core temperature as bedtime approaches. This cooling is a prerequisite for the brain to transition into sleep mode.
Sneha S suggests a clever physiological hack. She says, “A warm pre-sleep shower may seem counterintuitive to cool down, but the science is sound. A warm shower causes vasodilation—blood moves to the skin’s surface. When you step out of the shower, that heat rapidly dissipates into the air, causing your core temperature to plummet. This mimicry of the natural circadian dip tells your brain it is safe to shut down. Furthermore, the environment must support this cooling. Setting your bedroom temperature to approximately 18 degrees Celsius ensures that your body doesn`t have to expend metabolic energy to stay cool, allowing you to remain in the deeper, more restorative stages of sleep throughout the night.”
Deconstructing the myth of alcohol-fuelled drowsiness
A common misconception is that a nightcap helps repair a sleep schedule by inducing drowsiness. Sneha S is quick to debunk this, “Alcohol doesn`t help you sleep soundly, but lowers the quality of sleep.”
While alcohol may shorten the time it takes to fall asleep, it wreaks havoc on your sleep architecture. “Alcohol specifically suppresses REM (Rapid Eye Movement) sleep, which is the stage responsible for emotional regulation, memory consolidation, and cognitive recovery. As the body metabolises alcohol during the night, the sympathetic nervous system becomes overactive, leading to frequent micro-awakenings,” she highlights.
You may not remember these interruptions, but you will certainly feel their effects—foggy-headedness and irritability—the following morning.
Metabolic conflict: Food and exercise
Your body is a master of prioritisation. “During sleep, it is programmed for cellular repair, immune function, and detoxification. However, if you eat a heavy meal or perform an intense workout shortly before bed, you create a metabolic conflict,” poses Sneha S.
1. The 3-hour buffer: Digesting complex fats and proteins requires significant energy. If your body is busy digesting, it cannot reach the deep, slow-wave sleep necessary for physical recovery. She recommends finishing your last major meal at least three hours before bed. If hunger persists, stick to light snacks like almonds or a banana, which provide satiety without overwhelming the gut.
2. The cortisol spike: High-intensity exercise is a powerful stimulant. It raises your body temperature and spikes cortisol—the exact opposite of the downshift required for sleep. To repair your cycle, keep intense training at least three hours away from your bedtime. Later in the evening, focus on low-impact movement like mobility work or slow yoga to calm the nervous system.
The role of naps and supplements
When suffering from ‘rebound exhaustion’—that heavy fatigue that often peaks a few days after the party—you might need additional support, according to Bendre.
Strategic napping: Short afternoon naps do not necessarily ruin your nighttime sleep. In fact, research shows that for those suffering from a sleep deficit, a brief nap can improve sleep latency, actually helping the individual fall asleep faster that night. It provides a rejuvenation that helps bridge the gap until the schedule is fully restored.
Chemical aids: For those struggling with the initial reset, short-term use of melatonin can help synchronise the body clock. It is generally well-tolerated and carries a low risk of dependency. Similarly, magnesium plays a vital role at the cellular level, calming overactive brain signals and helping individuals—particularly older adults—fall asleep faster and stay asleep longer.
The 48-hour sleep repair action plan
Based on inputs and advice from medical experts, the following steps can be taken to realign your biological clock to manage light, temperature, and metabolic rest over the next two days.
Morning: Resetting the master clock1. Sunlight exposure: Spend 20 minutes in direct sunlight immediately after waking to anchor your internal timer.2. Fixed wake-up: Rise at your goal time regardless of how you slept to prevent further schedule drifting.
Afternoon: Bridging the fatigue gap1. The 20-minute nap: If needed, take a short power nap before 3 pm to rejuvenate without delaying nighttime sleep.2. Caffeine cut-off: Stop all caffeine intake by 2:00 PM to ensure it’s metabolised before bed.
Evening: Cooling and decompressing1. The 3-hour buffer: Complete your last heavy meal and intense workout at least three hours before bedtime to avoid metabolic and cortisol interference.2. The digital sunset: Switch off blue-light-emitting screens two hours before bed to allow natural melatonin production.3. Thermal trigger: Take a warm shower 90 minutes before bed; the subsequent drop in core temperature signals your brain to sleep.
Overnight: Protecting sleep quality1. Maintain a cool room: Keep your bedroom at approximately 18 degrees Celsius to support uninterrupted deep sleep.2. Avoid alcohol: Skip the “nightcap” to prevent fragmented sleep and protect your restorative REM cycle.3. Relaxation support: Consider a magnesium supplement to help calm brain signalling and support cellular relaxation.
There is no magic pill for a ruined sleep cycle, but there is a biological path forward. As both medical experts emphasise, the key is understanding that sleep is an integrated system. By controlling your exposure to light, managing your core temperature, and respecting the time your body needs to digest and decompress, you can move from a state of social jetlag back into a high-functioning routine.
Here`s how you can fix your sleep schedule after late nights
