Consistency is key. It’s unlikely that regular working hours are going to change anytime soon, so the best way to fight off social jet lag is maintaining a consistent sleep cycle. What should a consistent sleep cycle look like? You’ll want to be getting at least seven hours of sleep per night (if not more) and maintaining a regular schedule for going to bed and getting up — that means going to bed and waking up around the same time every day, including weekend days.
“During the work or school week people are forced to be awake very early. On the weekends they are less restrained” by their schedules Scheer says, and more inclined to sleep in, setting the social jetlag in motion for Monday morning. So early morning light exposure will help, but so will not sleeping in on the weekends. As you learn more about how our body clocks work, it might help to think about how your own schedules can shift.