Is it possible to truly “catch up” on sleep over the long-term?
Vera Blair / Stocksy
Getting through the day on a poor nights sleep is brutal.
You feel groggy and foggy-brained, its hard to muster momentum, and it can evenaffect your mood.
Vera Blair / Stocksy
When lack of sleep becomes the norm, this leads to sleep debt.
What Is Sleep Debt?
Think of sleep as a credit for the brain.
When youre chugging along and getting adequate sleep, your bank account is in the green.
When you start sleeping less, though, your bank account begins dwindling.
If this trend continues, you’re able to accrue sleep debt.
Younger children need even more sleep than this, depending on their age.
School-age children require nine to 12 hours, and preschoolers should get 10 to 13 hours.
No amount of caffeine or stimulation can mirror or mask the consequences of sleep deprivation.
Signs Youve Accrued Sleep Debt
So how can you tell if you’re dealing with sleep debt?
Can You Catch Up on Sleep?
The answer is “yes,” with some caveats.
Once youre past that three-day mark, she says it becomes difficult to handle the sleep debt.
Ultimately,avoidingsleep debt is the best plan of action for your overall health and well-being.
However, an ongoing pattern can lead to chronic deprivation and negatively impact your health and well-being.
Too many people get in the habit of yo-yo sleepingchronically under-sleeping during the week and oversleeping on the weekends.
Make time for sufficient sleep every day of the week.
Alhola P, Polo-Kantola P.Sleep deprivation: Impact on cognitive performance.Neuropsychiatr Dis Treat.
2007;3(5):553-567.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Sleep debt.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.How much sleep do i need?.
