While it’s tempting on weekdays to stay up late to finish everything and then sleep in on weekends to “catch up,” more and more research shows this approach simply doesn’t work. In other words, extra sleep intended to make up for previous sleep deprivation doesn’t bring attention, focus, or reaction time back to normal.
The effects of sleep loss persist for a long time in terms of reduced productivity and attention. Interestingly, a sleep-deprived person eventually loses the ability to accurately assess their own level of drowsiness, mistakenly believing they are functioning normally when, in fact, their performance metrics are significantly lower.
How to Actually Catch Up on Sleep
The only way to make up for lost sleep is to proceed gradually and persistently with a long-term plan. First, try to estimate approximately how much sleep you’ve missed. Then, you’ll need to add extra sleep each day and even more on weekends until you fully restore what was lost. Ideally, your sleep deficit should eventually reach zero.
If you’re chronically sleep-deprived, this plan may take weeks or even months to erase the “sleep debt.” It might be wise to take a short vacation instead, where you can fully control your schedule. In this case, make sure not to fill your days and nights with activities. The main goal: sleep as much as your body needs—until you wake up naturally feeling rested. Don’t let an alarm disrupt this “therapeutic” sleep. At first, you may be surprised to find yourself sleeping 12 or more hours each night, but this amount will gradually decrease (as your sleep debt shrinks) until you eventually reach the amount of sleep you need regularly.
It’s important to avoid accumulating sleep debt again once it’s resolved. To do this, strictly monitor your routine, setting aside time for the amount of sleep you need each day. Follow sleep hygiene practices, including a consistent wake-up and bedtime.
If you have to wake up early and find that nights aren’t providing enough rest, consider trying to “make up” your sleep on weekends with daytime naps. Some people find naps helpful, while others feel they interfere with nighttime sleep. As with many health-related matters, each person must decide for themselves based on experience whether or not daytime naps work for them.