For many young professionals in Hyderabad, the weekend means sleeping at 2 am and waking at noon. But doctors say this habit, called social jetlag, could be hurting more than just productivity.

“Your body clock doesn’t know it’s the weekend,” said Dr Varun Madugula, a sleep and lifestyle physician in Himayatnagar. “When you change your sleep schedule drastically for two days, it throws your hormonal rhythm off for the rest of the week.”

A recent Telangana urban health survey revealed that over 68% of respondents aged 20–35 reported at least a two-hour gap between weekday and weekend wake-up times. Researchers linked this to irregular appetite patterns, low mood, and poor concentration.

Anil, 32, said he sleeps six hours on weekdays and ten on weekends. “By Monday morning, I feel worse than before.” Endocrinologist Dr Feroze SK explains: “Social jetlag messes with insulin response and cortisol levels. It sets the stage for fat storage and fatigue.”

Sleep physician Dr Madugula adds, “We see more anxiety, late-night cravings, and hormonal acne in those with disrupted circadian rhythms. These are things people don’t connect to poor sleep hygiene.”

Doctors now recommend keeping sleep schedules within one-hour margins all seven days. To spread awareness, a wellness startup in Hitec City recently launched a ‘Sleep Reset Challenge’, where participants get daily reminders, blue-light curfews, and meal-timing support.

Simple ways to fix social jetlag:
    •    Sleep and wake at consistent times
    •    Get sunlight in the morning to reset body clock
    •    Limit caffeine after 3 pm
    •    Don’t nap for over 30 minutes
    •    Keep weekend sleep-ins under 1 hour