Credits: Social Media
Debunking common ‘sleep debt’ myths as expert advises on perfect nap time�
Sleep debt can lead to restless nights for millions of Americans as health experts offer helpful advice on the perfect nap time.
Whether it’s work, school, or endlessly scrolling through social media, there are many things that can stop us from getting our much-needed beauty sleep. But when we dont get enough shut-eye, whether it be a few minutes or hours, we start to build something called Sleep debt.
What is sleep debt and how can it impact your life?
While there is a common misconception that our bodies can easily adapt to getting less sleep than we typically need, missing valuable rest time on a routine basis can have various and severe consequences for our health and wellbeing.
Sleep debt is also commonly referred to as sleep deficit and is the difference between how much sleep you need and how much you actually get.
For example, if you only get four hours of sleep one night when you should be getting eight, that leaves a sleep debt of four hours. Over the course of the week, this accumulation would leave you lagging behind by 28 hours of sleep, which you will need to claw back somewhere.
If you dont get enough sleep on a regular basis or dont take measures to address your sleep debt, this can leave you feeling tired throughout the day, losing your ability to focus, weakening your immune system, and even making it more difficult for your brain to process the world.
One way to catch up on sleep debt is to get into the habit of taking much-needed naps. But when should you sleep during the day, and is there an optimal amount of ‘nap time’ that you need?
Health expert reveals whats the perfect nap time length
The first point of call is that sleeping for excessive amounts of time in the hope of getting back your sleep debt in one go isnt a good idea. It needs to be brought down gradually, such as through better sleeping routines and more napping.
Sleep Wellness Manager Rachel Beard recently told an Australian news outlet how the best way to prevent sleep debt is to maintain a consistent sleep schedule by waking up at a regular time each day and to balance your sleep debt, rather than sleeping, consider going to bed a bit earlier.
If that doesnt work out, Beard also recommends having a so-called power-nap, with many other health experts stating that weekends are the best times for catching up on sleep debt.
Try taking a bit of time out of your weekend for a Sunday siesta just make sure you stick to 20- or 90-minute naps otherwise you risk waking up feeling groggy rather than refreshed!
Anything less than 20 minutes likely wont have a major impact if you have a large sleep debt, and anything more than 90 runs the risk of sending you into a REM sleep cycle -thats not a nap, thats just falling asleep in the middle of the day.
- WEIRD AND WACKY: Microbiome videos may be most confusing health topic on the internet
Dr Cathy Goldstein, a professor of neurology at the University of Michigan Sleep Disorders Center told Time Magazine how a midday nap is better than a morning or evening nap:
The light exposure in the morning right after your sleep period is what we think is most important for keeping those regular biological rhythms going. If you do need to log some extra hours, a midday nap might be better.
Here, a recommendation is to keep a sleep diary where you keep track of how many hours of shut-eye you get each night, since the actual amount of sleep you need varies from person to person.
It can also be a good idea to exercise after work to relax your body, eat your final meal of the day slightly earlier than usual, and turn off all electronics the hour directly before you fall asleep.
When dealing with sleep debt, the most important thing to remember is that you should do so gradually and prioritise getting back into [a better] routine.
