Most people who cannot get enough sleep during the week due to work or study try to compensate by sleeping for a long time on weekends. However, new scientific research shows that this method does not completely eliminate sleep debt.
Medianews.az reports that an article on this topic has been published in the journal "Sleep and Breathing".
According to the study, sleeping more on weekends reduces fatigue in the short term, improves mood, and helps temporarily restore attention and mental functioning. However, experts state that the brain can only partially repair the damage caused by sleep deprivation.
Another study involving approximately 91,000 people showed that individuals who sleep less during the week but increase their sleep duration on weekends have a 20 percent reduced risk of heart disease. It was found that this effect is stronger particularly in people suffering from severe sleep deprivation.
Moreover, scientists emphasize that the damage chronic insomnia causes to the immune system, metabolism, hormone balance, and brain functions is not eliminated by just two days of long sleep. It is also noted that people who sleep irregularly for long periods experience a more rapid decline in mental activity if they become sleep-deprived again later.
Based on another study analyzing data from over 326,000 people, sleeping longer on weekends is only beneficial for those who truly have sleep debt. For people who get enough sleep during the week, sleeping extra on weekends can disrupt the biological clock and negatively affect blood sugar.
Experts note that going to bed late and waking up late on weekends strengthens the biological rhythm disorder known as "social jet lag." This is considered one of the main reasons for Monday fatigue and difficulty adapting.
According to scientists, increasing sleep by 1-2 hours on weekends is not harmful. However, this should not be regarded as a solution for chronic insomnia. The healthiest choice for adults is to sleep 7-9 hours at the same times every day, regardless of whether it is a weekday or the weekend.