Is a little sleep debt OK?

So the question isn't how long you’re sleeping for – or more specifically at what time of day – but how much sleep you actually need.

According to the snooze specialists at The National Sleep Foundation, in order to maintain optimum health, you need to be clocking up at least 7 hours sleep and no more than 9 hours.²

While you might think you can catch up on your missed sleep on the weekends with no major side effects, losing 30 minutes of sleep a night during the week can really stack up – and may even lead to some serious problems in the long term.

How can sleep debt affect me?

Sleep debt can really add up and the consequences aren't pretty – a lack of sleep may put you at risk of a host of health issues such as weight gain, diabetes, heart disease, stroke and memory loss. In some cases, sleep debt results from insomnia or another underlying condition such as sleep apnea that may require medical attention.⁵

Not only are the risks of health problems increased, but as sleep debt increases, a person's performance, decision-making and reaction times can also be affected.⁶

Our 3 top tips to help you fall asleep – fast

1. Take a hot bath.

Ah, now doesn't that sound relaxing? Light a candle, grab a good book and slip into a warm space where your body is encouraged to soak in peace. A hot bath is thought to help you get a good night's sleep because it relaxes your body and mind by slightly raising your body temperature and then, when you get out, you cool down which sets the stage for sleep.⁷

2. Try a yoga class.

While there might not be a clinical study which suggests yogis get better rest, there’s plenty of evidence to back up how good exercise is for improving and maintaining your physical and emotional health. Research has found that people who exercise report that their sleep improves. They also experience fewer depressive symptoms, more zest for life and less sleepiness during the day.⁸  When you're making an effort to get in shape and shake off the stress of everyday life by being more physically active, your sleep cycle may be a natural beneficiary.

3. Get out of bed.

If you can’t get to sleep, hit the restart button on your sleep session. We're not talking about giving up on trying to fall asleep altogether but if you're wide awake and your mind is going a million miles per hour, try this trick. Get out of bed and focus on something else – just make sure it's not staring at bright lights like a TV or a smartphone.

There are some other steps you can take to help get some good quality sleep such as cutting down on your caffeine intake, quitting smoking or using some background white noise to block out sleep-disrupting sounds.⁹

If these tips don't have an impact and you're still considering that a little sleep debt might be manageable for the time being, consider that it can escalate quickly and may become a long-term health issue.

If you've tried these tips and you are still waking up feeling unrefreshed, take our free sleep assessment. It may help you uncover the reason why it’s happening.