Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsWhat Is Sleep Debt?Signs You’ve Accrued Sleep DebtCan You “Catch Up” on Sleep?Tips for Catching UpHow to Improve SleepNext in Mind Over Mattress GuideWhat Can a Sleep Study Tell You About Your Mental Health?

Table of ContentsView All

View All

Table of Contents

What Is Sleep Debt?

Signs You’ve Accrued Sleep Debt

Can You “Catch Up” on Sleep?

Tips for Catching Up

How to Improve Sleep

Next in Mind Over Mattress Guide

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Getting through the day on a poor night’s sleep is brutal. You feel groggy and foggy-brained, it’s hard to muster momentum, and it can evenaffect your mood. Studies have shown that whensleep qualityis consistently poor, these symptoms can become exacerbated and even negatively impact our long-term memory and decision-making skills.

“In addition to physical and mental health, sleep—or lack of it—affects how we make decisions, our judgment, our motivation, our outlook, our communication, and our productivity. Even our coordination is diminished with lack of sleep,” notesTerry Cralle, RN, a registered nurse and expert for the Better Sleep Council.

When lack of sleep becomes the norm, this leads to “sleep debt.” Ahead, we’re explaining what sleep debt is and whether sleep is something you can truly “catch up” on in order to feel rested.

How Does a Lack of Sleep Affect Your Mental Health?

Sleep debt refers to the difference between the amount of sleep your body needs and the amount you are actually getting.

Think of sleep as a credit for the brain. When you’re 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 can accrue sleep debt. To reduce this debt, you need to pay it forward with more sleep, says the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention(CDC).

The CDC says that adults should aim for seven to nine hours of sleep per night, and that teens should get eight to 10 hours. 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.

“It takes less than 72 hours to see the consequence of lack of sleep on mental and physical health, and the only way to recover from lost sleep is sleep,” saysAllison Brager, MD, a neurobiologist with expertise in sleep and circadian rhythms. “No amount of caffeine or stimulation can mirror or mask the consequences of sleep deprivation.”

Dr. Brager warns that, over time, chronic sleep debt may contribute to more serious health problems, such asobesity, diabetes, heart and other organ diseases, and even cancer.

So how can you tell if you’re dealing with sleep debt? Here are some common signs to look out for:

You can alsodownload SleepWatchorany other sleep appto track how well you sleep.

Sleep Disorders: Types, Causes, Symptoms, and Treatment

So, can sleeping in on weekends, going to bed earlier the following night, or taking napsactuallymake up for your accumulated sleep debt? The answer is “yes,” with some caveats.

Dr. Brager says that in order to improve the chances of re-balancing your sleep bank account, you should “catch up” within three days of poor sleep. Once you’re past that three-day mark, she says it becomes difficult to resolve the sleep debt.

Ultimately,avoidingsleep debt is the best plan of action for your overall health and well-being.

Tips for Catching Up on Sleep

Here are some ways you can get more sleep in the day(s) that follow a poor night of sleep. You can repeat these things daily, as needed, in order to catch up on sleep.

What Is Deep Sleep?

5 Ways to Improve Your Sleep Starting Tonight

A poor night’s sleep is bound to happen here and there, and you can recover from lack of sleep when proactive about catching up within three days. 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 sleeping—chronically under-sleeping during the week and oversleeping on the weekends. Make time for sufficient sleep every day of the week.—TERRY CRALLE, RN

Too many people get in the habit of yo-yo sleeping—chronically under-sleeping during the week and oversleeping on the weekends. Make time for sufficient sleep every day of the week.

—TERRY CRALLE, RN

7 Breathing Exercises for Better Sleep

Bottom Line

We spend roughly a third of our lives asleep, and this time is crucial to our overall body function, physical health, and mental well-being. Sleep regulates everything from our emotions to our decision-making abilities, replenishes energy reserves, and gives our bodies time to recover so our organs function well. Prioritize consistently good sleep every night and do your best to catch up on a poor night’s sleep as soon as you’re able.

3 SourcesVerywell Mind uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.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?.

3 Sources

Verywell Mind uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.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?.

Verywell Mind uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.

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?.

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?.

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