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It can take you more than a week to recover from days of lack of sleep

Share on PinterestOne study found that after 10 days of sleep deprivation, 7 days of rest is not enough to return to normal function. Getty Images

  • Sleep deprivation is widespread among adults in the United States.
  • It has also been linked to several health problems, including high blood pressure, metabolic syndrome, and diabetes.
  • A new study found that after 10 days of deprivation, 7 days of recovery are not enough to return to normal function.
  • Experts say people may also overestimate how well they have recovered from sleep deprivation.

Sleep deprivation is widespread in the United States.

In fact, the American Sleep Apnea Association reports that 70 percent of adults in the US don’t get enough sleep at least one night a month. In addition, 11 percent report that they don’t get enough sleep every night.

Even if you’ve been deprived of sleep for a while, it may take longer than sleeping in on the weekend to make up for it, suggests a new study.

With 10 days of sleep deprivation followed by a 7-day recovery period, the study found that participants had regained their initial reaction speed. However, they had not fully recovered on any of the other functional measurements.

According to the study’s lead author, Jeremi Ochab, PhD, assistant professor at Jagiellonian University in Krakow, Poland, research has linked sleep deprivation to several important health problems, including cardiometabolic disorders such as hypertension, metabolic syndrome, and diabetes mellitus.

In addition, it has been linked to neurobehavioral problems such as loss of attention, slow working memory, decreased cognitive capacity, and depressed mood.

However, it was not known how long it takes to recover from periods of lack of sleep. Ochab and his team wanted to answer this question.

Ochab and his colleagues conducted a small study with several healthy adults to learn more about this problem.

The study participants were asked to consciously restrict their sleep for 10 days.

Then they were given 7 days of rest, where they could sleep as much as they wanted.

The study was conducted in their familiar environment, with participants wearing wrist sensors to track their daily sleep and activity patterns.

They also did a daily electroencephalography (EEG) to monitor their brain activity.

They also answered daily questions (Stroop tasks) to measure their response times and accuracy.

After the recovery period, the participants’ brain activity – resting versus activity patterns and accuracy in Stroop tasks – had not resumed their normal pace.

Her response time was the only measure that had returned to previous levels.

According to the study, sleep loss definitely affects us, possibly longer than expected.

“Your actual performance on demanding tasks can be reduced,” said Ochab. “And your behavioral patterns are slightly disturbed even for a week after an extended phase with partial sleep loss.”

Ochab also noted that your subjective feelings about how well you have recovered may not be accurate. He said study participants felt that their normal mood and sleepiness had returned, although tests showed they had not fully recovered.

However, Kimberly Fenn, PhD, an adjunct professor in the Department of Psychology at Michigan State University who was not involved in the study, noted that the study was a small sample size and should be interpreted with caution.

But she added that it is in line with what many sleep scientists believe: Inadequate sleep can cause long-term damage.

“I think this and other studies raise a critical question about the extent to which individuals can recover from sleep loss,” said Fenn. “While the study is a little weak and warrants a replication, I think it exposes the public to the dangers of sleep deprivation.

“Hopefully it will raise awareness and encourage people to prioritize sleep,” she added.

Fenn said there are several things you can do to make sure you are getting enough sleep.

Set a bedtime early enough

Most people get too little sleep during the week and then try to sleep late on the weekend, Fenn said. She suggests setting a bedtime that will allow you to get a good night’s sleep.

According to the Sleep Foundation, this is usually between 7 and 9 hours for adults.

Make sure your bedroom is cool, dark, comfortable, and quiet

A temperature between 18.3-20 ° C is most conducive to sleep, said Fenn. She said that it is also important that your mattress, sheet, and bedding are comfortable.

Avoid caffeine and alcohol

Fenn suggests avoiding caffeine within 8 hours and alcohol within 4 hours of bedtime. While alcohol can help you fall asleep, it can also suppress REM sleep and cause you to wake up at night and have difficulty getting back to sleep, she explained.

Avoid screens 1 to 2 hours before bed

Light suppresses melatonin production, Fenn explained, which makes it difficult to fall asleep. Blue light emitted by devices such as a telephone can suppress it even more than normal light.

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