#health effects of sleeping in

[lifestyle-hub]

Sleeping In on Weekends: Healthy Habit or Myth?

Image Credit: Ketut Subiyanto

After a long week of running around, cramming deadlines, and, let’s be honest, not getting enough sleep, those extra hours under the covers feel like a well-deserved reward. But, does sleeping in on weekends really help us catch up on sleep, or are we just fooling ourselves 🧐?

The Truth About "Catching up" on Sleep

We've all been there (at least I have) burning the candle at both ends Monday to Friday, then trying to make up for it by sleeping until noon on Saturday. It feels good, right? But the science says otherwise. When we don't get adequate sleep during the week, our bodies don’t just press a reset button on the weekend.

Sleep researchers (the smart nerdy guys) have discovered something important, “you can’t really catch up on lost sleep”. Sure, a few extra hours might help you feel more refreshed temporarily, but serious sleep deprivation can't be erased by two days of sleeping in. Your body and brain miss out on deep, restorative sleep, and no amount of weekend lie-ins can replace that.

In fact, studies suggest that irregular sleep patterns like skimping on sleep during the week and overcompensating on the weekends can mess with your internal clock, making it harder to establish a healthy routine. So, while that Saturday morning snooze might feel wonderful, it’s not a quick fix.

How Your Body Tries to Compensate

Now, here’s where it gets interesting, (your body is smarter than you think). When you repeatedly cut corners on sleep, your body compensates in subtle ways. It might trigger more light sleep instead of deep sleep, or even alter your mood and energy levels throughout the day.

But note that your body’s compensation mechanisms can only do so much. Over time, chronic sleep deprivation leads to issues like weakened immune function, mood swings, and increased risk of serious conditions like heart disease and diabetes. In other words, nature tries to balance the scales, but you’re not getting away with poor sleep habits scot-free.

Breakfast: A Helpful Tool

So, what can you do if you're struggling with sleep? “Don't skip breakfast”.

Yeah, yeah, I know it might sound unrelated, but eating a nutritious breakfast can actually help regulate your body’s internal clock, or circadian rhythm, which controls your sleep-wake cycle.

When you have a consistent morning routine that includes breakfast, it signals to your body that it’s time to wake up and be active. This sets you up for a more predictable sleep cycle later on.

Plus, a balanced breakfast can help stabilize your blood sugar levels, which might reduce those mid-afternoon crashes that often have us reaching for caffeine, more on that in a bit.

Go Easy on Your Coffee

Speaking of caffeine, let’s talk about the role it plays in this whole sleep equation. If you’ve been relying on coffee to power through your tired days, you’re not alone.

Sure, it gives you that quick jolt of energy, but it also disrupts your sleep cycle, especially if consumed later in the day. Even if you fall asleep after your afternoon espresso, the quality of your sleep might be compromised, leading to that groggy, sluggish feeling when you wake up.

Instead of relying on caffeine, try focusing on hydration and energy-boosting foods like fruits, nuts, or a quick walk outside to reset your energy levels naturally. Trust me, your future self will thank you when you can fall asleep more easily at night.

Tips for Better Sleep (No Lie-ins Required)

Here are a few tips to help you get a better night’s sleep without needing to play catch-up:

1. Create a Consistent Sleep Schedule: Going to bed and waking up at the same time every day helps regulate your body’s internal clock. Yes, even on weekends.

2. Limit Screen Time Before Bed: The blue light from screens can interfere with your melatonin levels, making it harder to fall asleep. Try to shut off your devices at least an hour before bedtime.

3. Wind Down with a Routine: Incorporate relaxing activities into your bedtime routine, like reading a book, taking a warm bath, or practicing deep breathing exercises.

4. Get Moving During the Day: Regular physical activity promotes better sleep, just make sure you’re not exercising too close to bedtime.

5. Keep Your Sleep Environment Comfortable: 'Different strokes work for different folks' but a cool, dark, and quiet room is key to falling and staying asleep.

With all that said, it doesn’t mean you need to give up the occasional lazy Saturday morning, but don’t let it become your go-to strategy for managing sleep.

After all, consistency is key, and small changes to your daily routine can have a big impact on your overall health.

Signing out, Kad👌

References

Harvard Medical School. (2020). "The Effects of Sleep Deprivation on Your Body."

National Sleep Foundation. (2019). "Caffeine and Sleep."

[astriiformes]

Summer is absolutely wrecking me this year. More than usual, which is particularly frustrating since my mental health had been so much better this past fall/winter/spring--though part of it is also that I am pretty wrung-out physically. I just want the season to be over :(

[icewindandboringhorror]

Some (late) holiday photos of the boye~!

[gummi-ships]

Kingdom Hearts Birth by Sleep Mega-Potion ~ Mega-Ether ~ Megalixir

[thecouncilofidiots]

Let's play Is It Sleep Deprivation, Introvert Burnout, or New Medication Dosage™️!! (/faux bright)

[puppyeared]

for like 3 weeks i was wondering why i was sleeping so much and felt listless. and just now I managed to email 3 people and responded to a month old message in the span of an hour because I got back to TAKING MY FUCKIN MEDS..........

[mushroomwillow]

Is it normal with adderall to be fucking freezing at night?

It’s only at night. My legs especially. It’s so weird and I cannot figure it out and it’s only happened the last two nights I’ve been on the adderall.

Blankets help at least. And I’m not awake enough to google it’s 1am almost (this part unfortunately is normal for me and is being worked on by a sleep specialist)

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who else up feeling the soul-numbing empty hopelessness for absolutely no reason this friday night

[floral-hex]

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[oc-cinematic-universe]

i figured out the funniest possible deathspeaker timeline. timeline where dara is the same age as and grew up with joe and lily. dara starts transitioning at the age of 8 years old after she admits her massive crush on joe and he tells her he's not really interested in boys which makes her realize she isn't one actually. deciding to be a girl does not change joe's mind because he is 8 and so so demiromantic and doesn't know it yet, but lily sure is interested. cut to 10 years later lily and dara have been on again off again for 10 years with drama the likes of which you've never seen because they can't fucking stand each other. joe is also there realizing he needs better friends

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[phagodyke]

looking up info on keloid scarring is so helpful. thanks man I didn't think of trying that one

[vainvex]

2 more weeks until i get my blood drawn to decide whether i can start t again and im literally going insane . im sure i was just dehydrated last time but im still not supposed to do my t and i hate this so much bc the longer out i go the worse and worse i feel

[roadimusprime]

trying not to believe they turnt the Internet off before they left for work. 😒

[seventh-district]

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