We’ve all been there. You lose an hour of sleep one night, then another hour the following night, and soon you’re up to 40 minutes behind. Do you have to worry about this? Can you catch up on lost sleep? And more importantly: Should you even try? Yes, it’s possible to make up for lost sleep—but only if it’s unintentional and intentional enough times in a row.
The weekend rebound is real.
- It happens because we all need to catch up on sleep after a week of not getting enough.
- The rebound only lasts for about one day, so it’s not an effective way to make up for lost sleep during the week.
Avoiding the sleep yo-yo is crucial.
The importance of avoiding the sleep yo-yo is crucial. The sleep yo-yo is a cycle of sleeping too much and then not enough, which can be caused by stress, shift work or jet lag.
If you’re not getting enough sleep at night but still need to function during the day–and it’s not because you’re doing anything out of the ordinary (like working an overnight shift) –your body may be experiencing a form of insomnia called “delayed sleep phase syndrome.” If so, try taking measures to get better quality rest:
Yes, you can catch up on lost sleep, but it’s not a good idea.
The amount of sleep you need each night is cumulative and builds over time–you can’t just make up for missing out on sleep at night by sleeping in on weekends. The best way to get back on track is by getting enough hours of restful sleep during the week so that your body can recover from its cumulative deficit.
Getting more than eight hours per night will help with staying alert during the day and improving your memory recall (so important!).
Sleep debt is cumulative and builds over time.
Can you catch up on lost sleep?
No, and here’s why: sleep debt is cumulative and builds over time. You can’t just make up for lost sleep by sleeping in on the weekend, or even by taking naps during the week. That’s because your body needs regularity in its circadian rhythm to function properly–and that includes getting enough hours of rest at night. The amount of REM and deep sleep you get each night also helps regulate hormones and maintain physical health, so if you’re chronically short on these things (or even just one), it will take more than a few extra hours of shuteye to recover from them all at once!
Get enough nightly sleep so that you don’t experience a weekend rebound or a buildup of sleep debt.
- How much sleep do you need?
- What can you do if you are not getting enough sleep?
The answer depends on your age, but adults generally need 7 to 9 hours of sleep each night. If your body feels tired during the day, then it’s likely that your nightly rest is insufficient. You might also notice that even though it feels like there’s no way in the world that eight hours could possibly be enough time for what needs to get done during the day (especially if there are children involved), once those lights go off at night and everyone has settled down for bedtime…it seems like forever before morning comes around again!
Conclusion
We hope that you’re convinced that you can’t catch up on lost sleep. If anything, this research shows us just how important it is to get enough sleep every night so that we don’t experience a weekend rebound or buildup of sleep debt. If you’re concerned about your own habits or those of someone close to you, try talking with a doctor about what changes might be helpful in getting adequate rest each night for long-term health benefits like lower risk of disease and shorter recovery time from injury or illness!