Has anyone ever told you that you can make up for lost sleep on the weekends? Unfortunately, the concept of “making up” for lost sleep is one of the many sleep myths people have studied over the years. While many people believe that you can sleep in on the weekends and catch up on all that you’ve lost over the week, it’s much more complicated than that. In fact, once you lose sleep, it might be hard for you to catch up and recover.
In this article, we’ll explore what sleep debt is, why it’s not as simple as making up for lost sleep, and how you can instead deal with the realities of lost sleep. It might not be a situation you want to deal with, but by understanding more about sleep debt and the myth surrounding this concept, you’ll become more prepared to promote better rest, now and into the future.
What is Sleep Debt, and Why Does It Matter?
Sleep debt is an issue that many people deal with and one that can have significant long-term consequences. It is best defined as the difference between total weekday and weekend sleep hours, typically within a range of two hours (Source: PubMed). Unfortunately, sleep debt is a significant issue that can add up—but unfortunately, you cannot alleviate it quite as easily. And it differs depending on your age and your health.
For younger individuals, like teenagers, sleep debt is much easier to accumulate because they need more than eight hours of sleep for their development. However, even adults end up with sleep debt if they do not get seven to nine hours of sleep every night. If you struggle with sleep debt, you might struggle with fatigue during the day or impaired performance—or worse, you may suffer from circadian misalignment, which can increase your risk of other health problems.
Why You Cannot Just “Catch Up” on Lost Sleep
For those who struggle with getting sleep and have sleep debt already accumulating, you might be wondering how you can overcome it. Well, you can’t just sleep on the weekends and ensure you are getting a few extra hours here and there. Naps also don’t help. Let’s take a look at why you cannot just “catch up” on sleep and why common beliefs about sleeping in and naps are incorrect.
Myth #1: Sleeping on the Weekend or Taking Naps Will Solve Sleep Debt
It is a common myth that sleep debt can be recovered by simply sleeping more another night or taking a nap. You may have felt this way when you were younger, and you may have certainly perceived yourself to be more rested after a long night’s rest on Friday night! And yet, research shows that this is only perceived, not actually true. In fact, only one in four subjects in one study actually helped their sleep debt—in severe cases—by napping and using the weekend to sleep in (Source: PubMed).
Myth #2: If You Can’t Sleep at Night, Take an Afternoon Nap to Catch Up
Napping is an effective way to recover when you’re feeling a bit tired throughout the day, but it should not be treated as the solution to your sleep debt. It is a myth that you can catch up on sleep by taking an afternoon nap or a siesta to some around the world. Habitual napping is an issue that can lead to worse health outcomes, and it is also bad for those with insomnia, as it can further put them out of alignment with their body’s natural circadian rhythm (Source: PubMed). Instead, naps may actually perpetuate insomnia.
Myth #3: Your Body Will Learn to Deal with Less Rest
For those who feel like their quest for sleep is a lost cause, this myth is one that they might believe, but it is false. Your body needs enough sleep to recover from all that you do in a given day, and while you might adjust to having sleep debt, not catching up may be just as bad as trying to nap or sleep in on the weekends. If you’re a night-shift worker, you might think you do better with less sleep, but this manifests instead in your overall performance.
So, sleep debt is not something you can recover from, nor is it something you adjust to. With that in mind, how can you solve this? Let’s explore that next.
How to Manage and Alleviate Your Sleep Debt
By now, you know that catching up on lost sleep is a myth. You may be able to partially recover with a nap or by sleeping in one day, but you never fully recover, or you may end up with impairments that last until you get proper rest. To manage and alleviate your sleep debt, you have to prioritize your sleep. It is as simple as that. Here are some tips from experts that you can use to manage your sleep debt and overcome it:
- Prepare for Short Sleep in Advance: If you find yourself preparing for a period of less sleep than usual, you can gradually extend your sleep beforehand. You could, for example, extend your usual seven hours into ten for a few nights before you spend a week only sleeping so many hours. This helps with performance and alleviates potential challenges due to poor sleep (Source: PubMed).
- Maintain a Consistent Sleep Schedule: To ensure that you alleviate sleep debt, you can take steps to avoid sleep debt in the first place. At first, you might be tempted to sleep even longer, but with appropriate scheduling, you can train your body to be used to sleeping up to eight hours a night or even nine if you prefer. This sort of recovery can help you in the long term and protect your health.
- In Emergencies, Take a Nap: If you find yourself in a situation where you have suffered from sleep debt, but it’s only a night or two, try to take a short nap. A short nap of only thirty minutes can alleviate sleepiness and fatigue in the afternoon and help you improve your performance and mood.
The bottom line is that sleep debt requires consistent efforts for proper sleep every night, not just when it counts. As long as you’re prioritizing sleep, you can alleviate sleep debt and begin to feel your very best!
How Will You Manage Your Sleep Debt?
With sleep debt as a persistent problem for many, learning how to overcome it and what it is can genuinely benefit your health. Remember: even though it might feel like you’re catching up on sleep on the weekends, your sleep health is about consistent, nightly efforts to ensure optimal rest. We hope that these tips and insights have inspired you to take steps to promote your sleep health. How will you manage your sleep debt in the future?
