Bob Geldof is hardly alone in being less than enthused about the start of the week, and the mystery as to why we don't like it has been equally universal.

We can point to psychological factors that might make it less appealing, than a Friday certainly, but there's a corresponding physicality to it that has, seemingly, made less sense. An off-ness to it that makes catching your tram on Monday morning feel more like you’re struggling to make your connection through Frankfurt.

And like most things that go on with the body - and particularly the signals it gives you - this one is bang on. Because that Monday morning feeling IS jet lag - only that of the social variety.

It turns out that all atypical behaviour - not just sleep and wake-times - has the same (adverse) effect as crossing time zones. 

And even if a change of diet, disrupted mealtimes, alcohol intake, little exercise and a host of other things we might point to as descriptors of a good weekend, are not a factor, even just the luxury of your Sunday sleep-in will do it: a guilty pleasure that is enough to throw your circadian rhythms out of whack. 

The ‘extra’ sleep and later waking time, and especially when combined with even a hint of the Sunday blues or anxiety about the week ahead, make getting to sleep on a Sunday night that much harder. Ergo Monday morning arrives right on time and with you less than equipped to deal with it. 

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The problem here is not least that atypical behaviour will cause a problem - it's that for some of us there is no typical behaviour.

    •    bedtime
    •    wake time
    •    meal times
    •    training time

All these most critical considerations occur with little consistency from day to day, leaving your internal master clock without a reference point. And leaving you unmoored.

The solution, like most things, is both simple and something you are not going to like. 

Get up at the same time every day. Which means going to bed at the same time every night. 

Over time this will have you waking before your alarm each morning - confirmation you have adjusted to this daily cycle and that you are getting sufficient sleep. Then, and here’s the good part, don’t set the alarm on a Sunday morning and if you sleep in, that’s fine - you are cancelling a sleep debt. But if you wake up, you get up. 

Yes, at the same time. Yes, every day. Oh, and eat at the same time. Exercise at the same time. Because, as you'll learn in this eye-opening article, we are just scratching the surface of what we understand about our circadian rhythms. 

“I cannot emphasize enough how important the circadian rhythm is for prevention of chronic diseases, …And for long term benefits toward healthspan and eventually lifespan.”

That's associate professor, Jake Chen, one of the scientists on the case and, if he is to be believed, then the perfectly reasonable and logical response would be:

- Okay then. Well, I guess I can try it. At least.

But we humans only like to think we are logical and there is a different, more reliable response. A response, you could set your watch to. No doubt some of you have already shouted some variation of it at your laptop - not fucking likely stupid trainer!

- But I enjoy sleeping in!
- But it’s the only morning I get to sleep in!
- But this 
- But that

- And, I'm not a fucking robot!

For the melodramatic - no, this (obviously) doesn’t mean we become robots programmed for every little thing throughout the day.

It does mean that, on understanding the not insignificant implications, it’s not that hard to create routines you default to; that describe your behaviour in key areas MOST of the time. Routines via which you have the power of your internal clockwork working for you. I mean, if it's an option, why wouldn’t you, right?

Because however you care to dress it up what you are really saying, let's be honest, is this:

- I don’t care. I choose to deliberately work against my internal body clock.

And that, to me, doesn’t read like a recipe for success. But then you well know that I'm cool with you doing whatever the hell you like although I will suggest that the proof is in the pudding.

What?

No, not dessert! I mean, TRY it. Not for a day. For two whole weeks. 

Tell me then you don’t feel better ALL WEEK. Tell me then it wasn’t worth it.

Or, you know, stick with what you’re doing now. If it’s working for you.

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But many of us spend a lot of time complaining, not just about Monday mornings but general fatigue, irritability, stubborn fat loss, etc. etc. etc. And will further blame stress, the metabolism, hormones… you name it. And those things may well be true - or contain an element of truth. But what is reliably missed - you can set your watch to this also - is that YOU are responsible for all those things.

Sure, some of it may well be the cards you're dealt. It remains your job to play them. And, if you are suffering from any or all of the above you are not cursed. Which is a good thing. Another good thing is the fact that all of those things make perfect sense. And not only that: Because your body always reflects what you do with it, a lack of respect for your internal clockwork determines that all of these things are your due.

This is the sort of news from the front that endears me to clients. And readers.

But, then what else do you want to hear?

After all, when you are walking up non-existent stairs while blearily making your way through customs at Heathrow, even in your fragile state, you are under no illusion that travel across time-zones (specifically YOU travelling) caused it, right?

You are not abusing the sun for not keeping pace with you!

 Are you?!

Of course, I could suggest variations of exercise, diet and anything else in the trainers' toolbox. The fitness and diet industries are testament to how helpful this can look. While being useless. None of this will make any difference when they are not the factors in play. 

The order of operations shows that a change of training strategy, tactics and tools, any changes dietary or otherwise - unless we are manipulating these in accordance with the real issue - i.e. train/eat at the same time - our focus here can only muddy the waters.

Most importantly of all, my opinion - educated or otherwise - doesn’t matter. 
The science here - other than pointing you to a (possible) solution - doesn’t matter.

YOU FEEL LIKE SHIT EVERY MONDAY MORNING!

Maybe that's your body, repeatedly, telling you what’s going on. How much clearer can the signal be?

You now have science pointing you to a credible (possible) explanation. A report that, like much good science after the fact, seems obvious in hindsight - oh yeah, shifting my sleeping and waking times around willy-nilly IS like a self-imposed jet lag!

But rather than take that information and so much as TRY it; even on the proviso that if Sundays (and Mondays) don’t end up falling into the 'I can’t believe how great this is, I wish I'd always done this' column, you could STILL go back to the sleeping in. Don’t worry, Monday morning isn’t going anywhere.

Nobody is asking you to accept anything that doesn't prove itself to you and yet your knee-jerk, and now considered, reaction remains: 

- Well, I couldn’t do that. 

Right. Just so we’re clear…. you could, you absolutely, by any definition, could. 

Okay, I could, but I won’t.

Well….. okay.

Get used to it then.

Because, if that is the problem -  there is not a single exercise, dietary, or broader lifestyle intervention that will ever breach your defending of it. 

That's a defensive play that is 100% successful, 100% of the time. 

It means the problem is yours to keep.


https://endpoints.elysiumhealth.com/the-complete-guide-to-the-science-of-circadian-rhythms-7b78581cbffa