Sleep: can you catch up?

The average human needs between seven and eight, more likely eight, hours of sleep each night.

Can you make up the difference in case you are in a deficit?

It is very tempting to want to catch up. You can catch up on a lot of other things in life. Food, water, work, exercise even.

So, for example, you could increase your workout duration and intensity in case you were missing a few days.

But catching up on sleep does not really work.

Before I explain, let me say a few things. In case you are short on sleep and feel sleepy during the day or are napping, please do. It is important for your body to rest.

Which may be the important distinction we are trying to make. Rest versus uninterrupted sleep at a stretch.

Your body needs uninterrupted sleep for a reason. At a stretch, your body is able to repair and restore and remove dead, toxic cells. Not just from the body, but more importantly from the brain. This process is vital for your health.

While debate around this subject continues, most scientists agree that eight hours of uinterrupted sleep is probably best for you to achive this.

So sleeping in during the day, sleep more during the weekends does not help. Not with the repair, rest and removal of unwanted cells.

A nap, say for ninty minutes or even ten minutes is wonderful for you. It helps the body recycle ATP for example.

But they are different goals and objectives.

Your best best would be to put in place a sleep protocol that allows you to get the sleep that you need. A bath before you sleep, a cold environment, complete blanket darkness, comfortable clothing, mindfulness before you sleep, to illustrate.

Sleep is an essential need, do what ever you can to ensure you get enough.

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