We thought we'd feel refreshed after the long weekend

Four days away from the office surely should've helped us feel energised, but does anyone else feel like it's done the opposite?

If, like us, you're feeling pretty exhausted after just one day back at work, then know you're not the only one.

Experts have explained why many of us are feeling sluggish after the long weekend.

Is it because we spent most of Sunday eating nothing but chocolate? Quite likely.

However, experts have revealed that the slight shift in our sleep schedules is to blame.

It may seem like nothing, but even just a few late nights can disrupt your sleep schedule.

It can take time for your body to get used to it, especially after a long weekend.

According to research, the average person goes to bed 17 minutes later and wakes up 25 minutes later over the long weekend.

Psychologist Professor Dorothy Bruck explained to ABC:

"If you haven't been fully rested for a while, you can forget what it feels like.

"People can lose their frame of reference. The average amount of sleep adults have is 7.2 or 7.3 hours.

"But when we let people sleep until they can't sleep anymore, the average is 8.25 hours."

The slight shift in our sleeping patterns over the bank holiday can leave our bodies feeling disorientated.

Luckily, Dr. Jade Wu says you can easily fix 'sleep debt'.

She told Well + Good:

"It’s kind of ironic because you think that by catching up on sleep, you’ll be less tired, but our circadian rhythm—the body’s clock—loves to be stable from day to day."

"When it gets unstable, it gets really confused. It’s not sure what time it is anymore, and that makes us feel more fatigued."

She stressed that getting enough sleep every day is essential for your body. We may think 'catching up' on sleep over the weekend is enough, but that's not enough for our bodies to function on.

She said sleeping for 7/8 hours each night is better than sleeping in on weekends.