How To Repay Your Sleep Debt
A few years back, in my previous job, I was working on the night shift. One day during a lunch break while talking to my friend about weekend plans, he said that he would sleep all day to make up for the lost sleep during the week.
On my weekends, because of routine change, I used to watch movies on Saturday night, and to compensate, I would sleep for two hours on Sunday afternoon.
But is this right way to clear sleep debt?
What is sleep debt? Why should you learn about it? Read on.
Everyone knows the importance of sleep, but unfortunately, due to the nature of jobs, lifestyles, and climate change, getting enough sleep is a constant struggle for many people.
Sleep debt is nothing but the difference between the amount of sleep a person needs and the amount they actually get.
For instance, I need 8 hours of sleep each night but one day due to some reason I only manage to sleep for 6 hours, now my sleep debt is 2 hours.
If we continue to miss our normal sleep time, this debt will keep accumulating, similar to how money is added to your bank account.
Prolonged sleep debt can affect both your mind and body, and studies have revealed that it also affects memory and cognitive function.
Can you clear your sleep debt?
Yes, you can, but there’s a catch.
You can never clear your sleep debt after losing it for two to three days, like my friend did in the intro.
If you want to clear your sleep debt, try to do it the next day. Waiting for weekends to catch up doesn’t work and can affect your sleep the following night.
So, how can you actually clear your sleep debt?
Taking a nap.
I often take a nap in the afternoon whenever I need to balance my sleep.
These 20 to 30 minutes nap refreshes my mind and increases my energy levels.
People often misinterpret that they need to exactly match the amount of lost sleep. For example, if your sleep debt is two hours, you don’t have to sleep an extra two hours the next day.
Taking a 20 to 30-minute nap is more than enough. One thing we have to remember is you have to finish your nap before 4:00 p.m. to avoid it affecting your nighttime sleep.
What will I do if I can’t have the luxury to take a nap?
I would consider sleeping 15-minutes earlier to my normal sleep routine.
I would meditate for 15 minutes in the morning. This will help me restore the energy level and make me to complete my day productively.
People often take sleep for granted, and see it as a waste of time, but it is the only thing that can make our day productive or not, and most importantly, it has a significant influence over our health.
There will be days when you might lose sleep; try to recover it the next day by taking a nap, going to bed earlier, or meditating.
Happy Sleeping!
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