Changes in Sleeping Patterns During Holidays Can Cause Fatigue and Difficulty Focusing

Illustration of a messy sleeping pattern. (Freepik)

JAKARTA - Changes in routines during long holidays often make one's sleep schedule change. The habit of sleeping later or waking up more during the day can disrupt the body's biological rhythm.

As a result, after the holidays are over, many people feel that their bodies are more tired, it's hard to focus, and even experience a decrease in concentration.

Astri Budikayanti, a neurologist from the Faculty of Medicine, University of Indonesia - Cipto Mangunkusumo Hospital (FKUI-RSCM), explained that changes in activity patterns during holidays often make sleep time irregular.

"Usually we have a regular schedule, for example working from morning to afternoon. During the holidays, social activities increase, people often stay up late or watch until late, so sleep hours change and the body becomes confused about adjusting its rhythm," said Astri in a health discussion monitored online in Jakarta, as quoted by ANTARA.

He explained that the human body has a biological rhythm that functions to regulate sleep and wake times through the production of certain hormones. When a person has a consistent sleep schedule every day, the body will automatically adjust the production of these hormones so that the sleep cycle remains stable.

However, changes in sleep patterns over several days can make the body's rhythm out of sync. The body is usually still able to adapt if the changes only last one or two days. But if it lasts longer, disturbances in sleep patterns can begin to appear.

"If the change is only one to two days, usually the body can still adjust. But if it's more than two or three days, the sleep rhythm can start to be chaotic," he said.

Sleep rhythm disturbances can cause various short-term effects, such as prolonged fatigue, difficulty concentrating, to the emergence of a condition known as brain fog, which is a state when a person finds it difficult to think clearly.

In addition to affecting concentration, lack of sleep can also affect the body's resistance. When the body does not get enough rest time, the immune system can decrease so that a person becomes more susceptible to disease.

"Overall it may still be overcome, but it will definitely have an impact on the immune system," said Astri.

He added that sleep is a very important biological need for humans. In fact, about a third of human life is spent sleeping.

Therefore, maintaining a regular and consistent sleep schedule is very important to maintain physical and mental health.

"Sleep is not just a rest, but also an important biological process to restore the body and brain," he said.