I typically get my best sleep at the weekend but a few Saturdays ago a fitful night left me groggy and fatigued all the next day.
My usual method for overcoming bad sleep is simple: wake up early, push through the day, go to bed at my usual time, drift off in minutes. It normally works like a charm.
But this time around, no luck. I was tired but couldn’t asleep, comfortable but restless, and although all my thoughts were boring for some reason they were racing around my head.
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Bad sleep continued to haunt me throughout the week. By Wednesday I was both bone tired and unable to drop off.
By the time the weekend hit, even the most dire warnings of social jet lag couldn’t compel me to set my alarm; I decided to sleep in…
Yes, I have a weekend alarm
It’s not that you should never sleep in but sleep hygiene emphasizes the importance of routine. Going to bed and waking up at the same time every night regulates your body clock and in doing so, makes good sleep consistent.
So while my weekend alarm is, admittedly, a touch later than my weekday alarm, I would never dream of leaving my wake up to chance.
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I don’t trust myself to get out of bed on a Saturday. Without an alarm I have a tendency to act as my own snooze button; waking up and falling asleep repeatedly, unaware I’ve spent two hours in this half-drowsy state.
An alarm blaring that it’s time to get up forces me to maintain my routine. That way I sleep just as well during the week as I do at the weekends.
But after a week of early alarms and restless nights, the thought of gentle chimes on a Saturday morning was enough to give me nightmares.
Paying off my sleep debt
As expected, I didn’t drop off easily on Friday night (despite having to fight to stay awake on the bus home — go figure.)
But without an alarm I slept at least 45 minutes past my usual Saturday wake up time, reclaiming some of the sleep I missed at the start of the night.
Saturday was another busy day and by bed time I felt very much ready to drop off. And it didn’t take me long to start snoozing. Within 15 minutes I was dead to the world.
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Again, I left my alarm off and again, I slept longer than I normally would. By the time I woke up on Sunday I was, finally, feeling refreshed.
The true test came Sunday night, when I worried oversleeping would make it hard to maintain my regular pattern.
But I was right to listen to my body and enjoy the extra rest; I fell asleep in minutes on Sunday night and woke up at the usual time on Monday morning, having finally caught up on the sleep I’d missed out on.
Can you catch up on sleep?
Your body needs a certain amount of sleep each night to allow for optimum recovery and performance. When you don’t get this rest, you fall into sleep debt.
It’s possible to pay back sleep debt but research suggests it’s not a quick process. For a start, we don’t recommend settling your balance in one big payment.
In other words, if you’ve missed an hour of shut-eye every night for a week, sleeping in for five hours is not the solution. (You’ll struggle to fall asleep that night, starting the whole process again.)
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Sleep debt needs to be paid off in small increments. For example, by going to bed around 20 to 30 minutes earlier every night.
This is what my morning oversleeping achieved; a consistent repayment that allowed me to get back in the black without messing up my sleep credit score.
Now I’m on track, I’ll return to my weekend alarm. Otherwise sleeping in will go from needed repayment to borrowing against future rest — or something like that, I’m a sleep expert, not a financial advisor.
How to recover from bad sleep
Sleeping in at the weekend isn’t always the right option (or even an option — young kids rarely appreciate a quiet morning) but if you’re struggling with sleep debt, here are some methods for repayment:
- Stick close to your sleep schedule: Yes, oversleeping can help. But your first reaction should be to maintain your routine. Consistency can help you fall asleep faster, so you catch up on sleep at the start of the night.
- Nap strategically: Naps can be used to repay sleep debt but as with sleeping in, too much messes up your routine. Keep your nap to around 20 minutes and avoid napping after 2pm.
- Stay active during the day: When you’re struggling with sleep debt the temptation is to spend the day as lazily as possible. Get active instead, as the energy expenditure will make it easier to fall asleep that night.
- Reflect on your sleep set-up: Waking up tired and waking up sore? It might be time to replace your bed. The best mattresses for your sleep needs can help you fall asleep faster and wake up fresher.
- Consider speaking to a healthcare professional: If you’re experiencing long term sleep deprivation or noticed a sudden and unexpected change in your sleep habits, consult a doctor about the best approach.
