What's Sleep Deficit and Do I Really Have to Pay It?

Have you been cutting back on sleep? Telling yourself you’ll make it up later? (There’s no harm done if you catch up another time, you say.) Hate to break it to you, but you have been building up a sleep deficit. It’s only going to get harder and harder to pay.

Sleep Debt

Sleep deficit, or sleep debt, is the cumulative effect of not getting enough sleep. Adults should be getting approximately seven to nine hours of sleep a night, says organizations like the National Sleep Foundation.

Throughout the day, our body releases a chemical called adenosine. As more and more adenosine is released, we feel more and more tired. This can include loss of attention or memory and slowed reaction time. When we sleep, the level of adenosine drops, and we wake up alert. Yay!

When We Don’t Get Enough Sleep

Sleep is essential for the brain. Without enough sleep, you can have trouble focusing, learning, making decisions, and controlling your emotions. The National Heart, Blood, and Lung Institute also warns that you can increase your risk of heart and kidney disease, high blood pressure, diabetes, stroke, and obesity.

Driving can become extremely dangerous without enough sleep. Drowsiness slows reaction time, which can make it harder to make safe decisions while on the road. The American Academy of Sleep Medicine estimates that 328,000 crashes on U.S. roads each year involve a drowsy driver. And crashes caused by falling asleep result in more fatalities than those related to any other cause.

It’s Hard to Catch Up Later

You know it’s important to get enough sleep, but you’re still telling yourself that you’ve got time to fix it later on. The problem with sleep debt is that, just like with money, the more you add to your debt, the harder it is to pay it back. One study found that after chronic sleep loss, it is harder for the body to maintain energy and performance even after it has been fully rested. Even if you get a good night’s sleep, you could still struggle to stay energized.

Repaying Sleep Debt

Here’s the bad news. Sleeping in on the weekends is only going to help you pay back a one- or two-hour sleep debt. To get your sleep back on track, you need to go slow and steady. There are plenty of things you can do to get back toward those seven to nine hours you need:

• Go to bed 15 to 20 minutes earlier each night
• Make a sleep schedule and stick to it
• Exercise during the day
• Avoid caffeine and alcohol, especially in the evening
• Relax before bed without electronics

We’ve all been there. A late-night study session, work running late, too much to do around the house. And kids. (Especially kids). It’s hard to get five hours of sleep, not to mention a full eight. But the more sleep you lose, the greater your debt and the harder it is to repay. So make some changes today and start getting the rest you need!