One of the main reasons many of us have for sleeping more on the weekend is to pay back the sleep debt accrued during the working week. Let’s face it, some young parents and many executives have been sleep-deprived for most of their adult lives and don’t know the difference. Over time, though, erratic behaviour or a lack of patience may be assumed as natural parts of a personality.
In addition to behavioural changes, research shows other ways continual sleep debt can impact us. In a remarkable sleep deprivation study from 2003 led by Hans Van Dongen from the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine, subjects who got six hours of sleep a night for two weeks straight functioned as poorly as those who were forced to stay awake for two days in a row.
The good news is that there’s no Rip Van Winkle scenario (who fell asleep for 20 years in the short story by Washington Irving) and you can actually pay back sleep debt—even years of it—in just a matter of days. Here’s what you do:
Pick a week where you don’t need to be up at a required time (for example during vacation).
Go to bed when you feel sleepy.
Don’t set an alarm.
Wake up naturally.
That’s it. You’ll probably find that you sleep long the first few days, paying back sleep debt before settling into a pattern—and this pattern will be your own natural sleep-wake cycle.
My wife slept sitting up for the last three months of her pregnancy. Acid reflux, a common issue for women in their last trimester, was unbearable for her.
What’s your preferred sleeping position?
The fetal position is beneficial for lower back pain and can reduce snoring, though it may limit deep breathing and can result in stiffness. Placing a pillow between your knees can help.
Sleeping on your side, particularly on the left can reduce heartburn and aid digestion, though it can result in shoulder and jaw stiffness.
Sleeping on your stomach might be the worst option, though it does reduce snoring, because it can cause significant neck and back pain as well as pressure on different muscles and joints meaning you wake up feeling tired. If you do sleep on your stomach, try to draw one leg up by your side.
Flat on your back is often considered the best option because it protects the spine and helps maintain good alignment along the length of your spine. Having the right height and firmness of both pillow and mattress is important to aid this alignment and reduce pressure.
Whichever way you fall asleep, you’ll likely move around during the night. And that’s a good thing—your body in this instance likes variety, rather than being in the same position for several hours at a time.
Summer Slowdown: SLEEP
Sleep Debt
(The Daily Reset 8th March)
How much do you owe?
One of the main reasons many of us have for sleeping more on the weekend is to pay back the sleep debt accrued during the working week. Let’s face it, some young parents and many executives have been sleep-deprived for most of their adult lives and don’t know the difference. Over time, though, erratic behaviour or a lack of patience may be assumed as natural parts of a personality.
In addition to behavioural changes, research shows other ways continual sleep debt can impact us. In a remarkable sleep deprivation study from 2003 led by Hans Van Dongen from the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine, subjects who got six hours of sleep a night for two weeks straight functioned as poorly as those who were forced to stay awake for two days in a row.
The good news is that there’s no Rip Van Winkle scenario (who fell asleep for 20 years in the short story by Washington Irving) and you can actually pay back sleep debt—even years of it—in just a matter of days. Here’s what you do:
Pick a week where you don’t need to be up at a required time (for example during vacation).
That’s it. You’ll probably find that you sleep long the first few days, paying back sleep debt before settling into a pattern—and this pattern will be your own natural sleep-wake cycle.
Sleep Positions
(The Daily Reset 21st March)
My wife slept sitting up for the last three months of her pregnancy. Acid reflux, a common issue for women in their last trimester, was unbearable for her.
What’s your preferred sleeping position?
The fetal position is beneficial for lower back pain and can reduce snoring, though it may limit deep breathing and can result in stiffness. Placing a pillow between your knees can help.
Sleeping on your side, particularly on the left can reduce heartburn and aid digestion, though it can result in shoulder and jaw stiffness.
Sleeping on your stomach might be the worst option, though it does reduce snoring, because it can cause significant neck and back pain as well as pressure on different muscles and joints meaning you wake up feeling tired. If you do sleep on your stomach, try to draw one leg up by your side.
Flat on your back is often considered the best option because it protects the spine and helps maintain good alignment along the length of your spine. Having the right height and firmness of both pillow and mattress is important to aid this alignment and reduce pressure.
Whichever way you fall asleep, you’ll likely move around during the night. And that’s a good thing—your body in this instance likes variety, rather than being in the same position for several hours at a time.
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