Everyone knows that sleep has a big role in our lives – we actually spend about a third of our lives sleeping! We also know that having the right amount of sleep can also be the difference between having a great day or a bad one.
Oh, that feeling of pulling an all-nighter leaving us exhausted; or feeling groggy after sleeping long into the afternoon past the recommended 7 to 8-hour time frame. We’ve all been there and neither one is ideal.
Many university students have tried compensating for a lack of sleep by making up for it on less busier days, in particular weekends. At a glance, it does seem like a good idea, but is sleeping in on weekends actually a good idea? After a chaotic week, is this really a healthy thing to do?
In a recent study from Stockholm University, this query was tested and some interesting results were found.
Based on the survey responses from a sample of more than 43,000 Swedish individuals over a 13-year period, the findings showed that having longer sleep on weekends may make up for some of the sleep deficit you may have had during weekdays.
In their study, the researchers state “the results imply that short (weekday) sleep is not a risk factor for mortality if it is combined with a medium or long weekend sleep”. This indicates that it may be okay after a tiring week at work, to sleep a little bit longer on weekends without any negative long-term effects.
Don’t use this as an excuse to mess up your body clock, though.
In this same study, the “results on sleep duration in terms of sufficient or insufficient recovery or compensatory sleep is speculative.” Therefore more research needs to be done to support these findings. Put this into comparison with many other studies showing a regular sleep pattern is much healthier than an irregular sleep pattern.
You can’t expect to stay awake and energised with a small amount of sleep every day after having a large amount of sleep one night. Your body isn’t an energy bank! It’s still really important for you to get a regular amount of sleep each day throughout the week.
So, don’t mess with your circadian rhythm too much! Maybe once in a while after a really busy week you can sleep in on weekends. But remember, it’s best to have a healthy sleep pattern your body is able to get used to.
Do you want to make your lie-ins more enjoyable? Take a look at the Ecosa pillow. It’s feels like you’re lying down on a cloud because it’s so soft. It’s also great for your skin and hair! Even if you do get to sleep in, waking up with skin creases and bedheads won’t be a problem.
Hope you have a happy weekend!