Have you ever found yourself burning the midnight oil and thought, “I’ll just make up for it on the weekend?” Well, I hate to break it to you, but sleeping in on the weekends or taking a twenty-minute nap here and there may not be the solution you’re looking for.
Here’s the thing: your body needs a certain amount of sleep regularly, and if you’re not getting that sleep regularly, you can’t expect to quickly “make up sleep” and reverse the damages.
Sleep debt is the difference between the amount of sleep you need and the amount you actually get. Accumulating sleep debt can lead to a range of negative effects, including mood swings, lack of focus, and decreased productivity. Taking a quick nap isn’t how you recover.
The best way to “make up sleep” is to ensure you’re getting quality sleep regularly.
By prioritizing healthy sleep habits and giving your body the sleep it needs on a consistent basis, you can help ensure your body is healthy. Constantly attempting to “make up sleep” can leave you in a continual state of sleep debt.
Sleeping in on the weekends or taking a nap to “make up” for lost sleep might make you feel better momentarily, but it’s a false sense of rest. Research suggests that it can take 96 hours to make up for an hour of lost sleep.
Focusing on getting high-quality sleep on a regular basis is key to preventing (or reducing!) sleep debt.
