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What’s the difference between time spent in bed and bank balance? No, this isn’t the start of a terrible joke – and the answer isn’t as simple as you think.
We all have the odd occasion where we stay up too late and don’t get enough sleep. Think of it like splurging on an expensive dinner. I probably shouldn’t, but I hope it doesn’t hurt my bank balance too much.
This article is part of a special series exploring important questions about sleep. Click here for details.
But not getting enough sleep on a regular basis can be a problem for many, with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reporting that one-third of adults get less than seven hours of sleep a night. However, this can lead to the accumulation of sleep debt, which can have a serious impact on physical and physical health. Mental health (see Why your chronotype is key to knowing how much sleep you need). Just like paying off a financial debt, getting your sleep back requires a plan.
Part of the problem is that we may not realize how much sleep debt we have and how negatively it is affecting us. For example, in one study, participants were randomly selected to work 4, 6, or 8 hours each night for 14 consecutive days. Ultimately, those who slept less than six hours showed cognitive impairments equivalent to up to two full nights of no sleep. However, even though they felt unwell after a few days, from then on, those who underwent sleep restriction were not necessarily aware that their cognitive performance continued to decline. “A tired brain can’t sense how tired it is,” says Russell Foster.
