Sleep Debt Recovery: How To Repay Your Deficit

Do you ever struggle to sleep and then find yourself constantly tired later in the week? If so, you're not the only one. It's a common thing – called sleep debt.

But what is sleep debt, what are the effects it can have on your body, and how can you recover?

This article is designed to explore the myths and facts surrounding sleep debt, and to offer some useful tips for repaying your debt.

A sleep debt can cause you to feel tired throughout the day, meaning you might crave sleep whilst working. Follow the tips in this guide to repay your sleep debt, and improve your slumber to avoid creating a bigger deficit. Image courtesy of Stuart Miles at FreeDigitalPhotos.net.

What is a sleep debt?

A sleep debt occurs when you get less sleep than you need. It is calculated by taking away the amount of sleep you get from the amount you need.

Experts recommend that you get around eight hours of sleep per night. If you only sleep for six hours, that's a sleep debt of two hours. It might not seem like much, but if this accumulates over a period of a working week, that's a sleep debt of 10 hours – more than a whole night's sleep.

While it is possible to repay your debt, it's never good to have many hours of lost sleep weighing down on you.

Dangers of sleep debt

Do you regularly wake up still feeling tired, and find yourself fighting the urge to take a nap at work throughout the day? It might be a sign that your body is deprived of sleep. Building up a sleep debt means that your body isn't rested enough. As a result, you'll probably start to see some of the ill effects of a lack of sleep.

If you're tired and deprived of sleep, you might feel irritable and moody the next day. However, if poor sleep becomes a regular occurrence, it can start to take more of a toll on your health.

Some of the dangers of chronic sleep debt include:

• Loss of concentration or focus.
• Mood swings or depressive feelings.
• Anxious thoughts and increased worrying.
• Increased risk of accidents and injury.
• Low energy levels.
• A depleted immune system.

As you can see, building up a heavy sleep debt can have a significant impact on your health, both mentally and physically. In order to avoid these effects, aim to pay back your debt.

How to repay your sleep debt

There's only one way to pay back your sleep debt – by sleeping!

But if you think laying in on the weekends for a couple of hours will set you right, think again. If you've built up a sizeable sleep debt, you can be sure that it takes time to catch up.

At the weekend (or a day when you don't need to be up early for work or studies), add an extra hour or two to your regular sleep. Go to bed when you are tired, and sleep through until you wake up unaided (without an alarm).

According to the NHS, you should aim to sleep for at least 10 hours at first, with the amount of sleep gradually decreasing over time until you reach a normal level. The amount of time it takes to get to the recommended number of hours sleep (around eight) will vary depending on how much you are in debt.

How to avoid sleep debt: Tips to help you sleep better

The best way to ensure that you don't feel the ill effects of a sleep debt is to always get the right amount of sleep. As soon as you start to build up a deficit, it can be difficult to pay it back.

If you often struggle to sleep, follow these tips below to improve your slumber and reduce the chances of suffering from sleep debt:

• Make your bedroom a relaxing and comfortable place to be at night, to improve your chances of falling asleep easily.
• Stop drinking caffeine and eating a few hours before bed, to stop your body from keeping you awake due to stimulation or an active digestive system.
• Relax and soothe your body with a warm bath before you hit the hay.
• Unwind with a book or by listening to soft music, as this can help to relax your body and prepare it for sleep.
• Ensure your mattress is comfortable. Ideally, it should be replaced every seven to 10 years, and should offer good support to your spine. Read our mattress buying guide to determine your ideal mattress.
• Avoid watching TV or using electrical gadgets in bed or directly before you try to sleep, as the blue light they give off can stop your body from creating the sleep hormone melatonin.

Don't let your debt build up

Whether you struggle to sleep at night, or you find yourself constantly tired, try and make sure that you don't build up a huge sleep debt.

If you do have a deficit, it's certainly worth repaying it by sleeping longer over a big enough period until you are back to the normal level.

Depending on how many missed hours of sleep you've had, it can take a while to pay off your debt. But keep at it, and as you close the deficit your body will thank you for it.

Do you have a sleep debt? Now's the time to pay it off!