Sleep Debt Can’t Be Repaid, New Study Reveals

Sharon Moore August 22, 2013

Been very busy for the past days that you had very little sleep? If you think catching up on sleep during weekends will compensate for the lost hours, think again. According to a new study, extending sleep during the weekend does not reverse the cumulative effects of mild sleep deprivation.

Researchers at Penn State, the University of Crete, and the University of Athens found that after a workweek of little sleep, extending bedtime hours on weekend doesn’t seem to improve cognitive performance. The study involved 30 healthy men and women, with average age of 24 years, who spent 13 nights in a sleep lab. Participants spent four days having regular sleeping period which is 8 hours but spent the remaining 6 days having only 6 hours of sleep per night. Then, they were allowed to oversleep in the remaining three nights, getting almost 10 hours of sleep (similar to the length of sleep people usually have during weekends).

During the course of the study, the researchers measured the levels of inflammatory and stress hormones of the participants, as well as their sleepiness levels during the day. Tests were also conducted to test the participants’ cognitive function.

Sleep debt can’t be repaid

Researchers found that the stress and inflammatory hormones of the subjects went up during nights when they lacked enough sleep but get back to normal when they had extra hours of sleep. Same results were seen in their day sleepiness levels. However, when it comes to brain function, extended sleep didn’t seem to provide benefits.

This is the first study to investigate the cumulative effects of short sleep patterns. Just recently, a research conducted by the Vielife, a health and productivity firm, showed that one in three British workers suffers from poor sleep, with stress, computers and taking work home blamed for the lack of quality slumber.

The current findings are very important because sleep deprivation is a major issue that could lead to serious health problems. Even mild sleep deprivation can increase the risk of stroke, obesity, diabetes, permanent brain damage, bone damage, and even cancer.

To ensure quality slumber, sleep experts recommend getting 8 hours of sleep each night and waking up at the same time every day, even on weekends.

Source of this article:

Catch-Up Sleep Won’t Make Your Brain Work Any Better, Small Study Suggests