7-Time Olympia Arnold Schwarzenegger Reveals How an Irregular Sleep Routine Can Lead to Social Jetlag and Other Health Issues

The recent newsletter that Arnold Schwarzenegger sent out to his ‘village’, had an interesting section called ‘stat of the week’. Sleep, an essential component of good health, is this week’s topic of discussion. But he does say that social jetlag and serious health problems might come from not sticking to a regular sleep schedule.

According to several studies, getting a good night’s sleep has numerous health benefits. Given that this is a method for whole-body healing, it is crucial and in addition to its many other benefits, it keeps the immune system strong, makes one’s learning capacities sharper, reduces stress, and boosts mood.

Nevertheless, the loss of quality sleep hours in anyone’s routine is far from beneficial. Arnold Schwarzenegger stresses one of these factors, stating:

“Losing hours of sleep might be the easiest way to add unwanted calories. A research review of 11 studies found that sleep-deprived people consume an average of 385 more calories than well-rested people.”

In addition to the caloric problem associated with sleep deprivation, the Austrian Oak also mentions social jetlag. The modern phenomenon of social jetlag is the habit of shorter, earlier sleep during the weekdays and longer, more catch-up sleep on weekends.

This may seem like a good routine for many individuals; however, Schwarzenegger is completely against it. The former bodybuilder also adds the reasoning behind his statements, writing:

“Research suggests that dramatic changes to your bedtime routine could increase your risk of cardiovascular disease.”

Schwarzenegger is opposed to the repeated rearrangement of one’s sleep schedule. He mentions that the body clocks have their own functions in the human body. He names three clocks, starting with the social clock, which triggers during social activities. The next is the biological clock, which checks in with one’s circadian rhythm. The last clock he mentions is the sun clock, which works according to light and dark in the 24 hours of the day.

He suggests his ‘village’ keep these clocks in check, as they have a direct impact on one’s health. All of these cycles are associated with a better sleep schedule, and additionally, the Austrian Oak suggests maintaining this, stating:

“In particular, better sleep regularity is associated with up to a 48 percent lower risk of all-cause mortality, as high as 39 percent lower risk of cancer mortality, and more than 50 percent lower risk of cardiometabolic mortality.”

Arnold Schwarzenegger highlights the benefits of forgetfulness with a small warning

There are a wide variety of potential causes of forgetfulness. Arnold Schwarzenegger claims that having this particular aspect is advantageous for one’s brain, which one can see as more of a blessing than a curse. Forgetfulness aids in the removal of unnecessary information from the brain, which improves focus and may aid in mental trauma recovery.

However, this forgetfulness is not related to Alzheimer’s or dementia, as per the former bodybuilder. He elaborates, asserting a direct link between irregular sleep patterns and these diseases. Poor sleep impacts a person’s capacity to make decisions.

Sleep deprivation may also reduce one’s cognitive abilities by as much as 40%. In conclusion, Schwarzenegger stresses the need to get a good night’s sleep and suggests getting a minimum of six hours of it every night.