Are you in ‘sleep debt’? Expert reveals why you should ditch partying on the weekend for a proper rest – and warns never to set an alarm on Saturday and Sunday

There’s nothing quite like the buzz that comes with clocking off work on a Friday evening and heading into a weekend of party bliss.

But spending your Saturday and Sunday on the town instead of in bed could wreak havoc on your sleep and ruin the rest of your working week, warns Lisa Artis, Deputy CEO of Simba’s Charity partner, The Sleep Charity in Doncaster.

While boozing it up on the dancefloor sounds like the perfect way to unwind, Lisa says you could well be paying the price for it come Monday morning.

Not catching enough z’s on Saturdays and Sundays leads to hours of ‘sleep debt’, which makes your brain tired and ill-equipped for the working week, she explained.

‘Taking it easy on the weekend may sound boring, but it does your body a world of good – especially when it comes to sleep’ she added.

Lisa Artis, Deputy CEO of Simba’s Charity partner, The Sleep Charity in Doncaster, says not enough sleep on Saturdays and Sundays leads to hours of ‘sleep debt’ (Stock image)

‘We operate on a roughly 24-hour cycle called the circadian rhythm, regulated by the suprachiasmatic nucleus in the hypothalamus. 

‘Maintaining a regular sleeping pattern on the weekend, i.e. not going out drinking and partying till the break of dawn, preserves this cycle, allowing the body to recharge as normal’. 

The expert stressed that the key to quality sleep was to ensure it went uninterrupted; for this she suggested snoozing your alarm on both Saturdays and Sundays.

She said: ‘With quality, uninterrupted sleep with no alarm and a restful few days, you’ll go to work on Monday feeling refreshed and ready for the week’.

Lisa explained that a high ‘sleep debt’ increases certain chemicals in our brains, leading to exhaustion and tiredness. The only way to reduce these chemicals is to catch up on your sleep cycle.

‘In contrast, living for the weekend, staying up late and piling up sleep debt leads to increased adenosine levels – the chemical in the brain that makes us tired,’ she continued.

‘And with work looming, there’s not enough time to recover before the week starts again. Adenosine levels will remain high until we get our sleep cycle back on track. 

‘This can make work more difficult than usual, impacting focus and lowering our overall task performance during the working week.’

She added that a weekend on the town instead of on your bed could ruin your working week (Stock image)

Experts have also discovered another reason why you should stay in bed on the weekend – people who get ‘catch-up sleep’ are less likely to experience symptoms of depression.

Researchers from Central South University in China analysed data on nearly 8,000 people who completed an assessment of depressive symptoms and answered a questionnaire on their sleep.

They discovered that nearly half of people got catch-up sleep by spending longer in bed at the weekends.

Overall, people who slept one or two hours longer on weekends were up to 46 per cent less likely to show signs of depressive symptoms, they found.

Depressive symptoms could include persistent feelings of sadness and a lack of interest in activities that were once enjoyable.

Further analysis revealed that the benefit of weekend catch-up sleep on symptoms of depression were mainly present in people who slept six hours or less on weekdays.

The link also appeared to be stronger in men and those under the age of 65.

Writing in the Journal of Affective Disorders the team said: ‘Depression is the most common mental disorder, with approximately 280million people worldwide suffering from it.

‘We aimed to investigate the association between weekend catch-up sleep and depressive symptoms in adults.’

In their conclusion, they wrote: ‘Weekend catch-up sleep of zero to two hours was related to decreased odds of depressive symptoms.

‘Our findings may provide additional epidemiological evidence for the effects of sleep on depressive symptoms’.

Despite the findings, sleep and circadian rhythm expert Professor Russell Foster says an extra few hours in bed on Saturday and Sunday is unlikely to compensate for the sleep debt accumulated during the week.

A swathe of studies show that even sleeping for 10 hours per night over the weekend won’t get your cognitive ability back up to speed.

And actually, it may throw off the body’s internal clock – making it even harder to get to sleep at night.

Tips on how to get to sleep and sleep better

Insomnia means you regularly have problems sleeping. It can get better by changing your sleeping habits

One in three adults in the UK and almost half of US adults suffer with insomnia, with millions more reporting sleepless nights.

Long-term sleep deprivation can cause obesity, diabetes and cardiovascular disease. 

Insomnia can be caused by stress, anxiety, alcohol, caffeine or nicotine, noise, shift work and jet lag. 

If you regularly have problems sleeping, there are simple ways to improve your sleep hygiene. 

 

 Keep regular sleep hours 

• Try going to bed when you feel tired and getting up at the same time each day. 

Create a restful space 

• Dark, quiet and cool environments generally make it easier to fall asleep and stay asleep.

 Get moving

• Exercise is good for your physical health and your mind.  It can also help you sleep better. Just don’t do vigorous exercise too close to your bedtime. 

 

 Don’t force it 

• If you find yourself unable to get to sleep, get up and do something relaxing for a bit. Then get back into bed when you feel a bit sleepier. 

Write down your worries

• If you find your worries keep you up at night, try writing them down before going to bed. 

Ease off the caffeine

• Alcohol and caffeine can stop you from falling asleep and having a deep sleep. Cutting down on caffeine close to bedtime and alcoholic drinks could help you dose off. 

 

 

Source NHS 

The Oxford University professor told MailOnline why sleeping in late is not always the best way to catch up on rest.

A person isn’t getting enough sleep if they’re struggling to perform ‘at their peak’ during the day, said Professor Foster.

People need eight hours of sleep a night, on average. But six to ten-and-a-half hours is a ‘healthy range’, he says.

Those who fall within this window and aren’t exhausted during the day don’t need to worry, according to Professor Foster.

But those who regularly feel tired, irritable, impulsive and in need of sugary or caffeinated drinks probably need more time in bed, he added.

However, recouping lost hours of shut-eye over the weekend by sleeping in is not the best way to achieve this.

Professor Foster said: ‘If you are running on empty and you sleep for four or five hours, then you will not get enough sleep with a lie in.

‘Lab studies have shown that if you oversleep on the weekend, even if it is for up to 10 hours, you still by Monday have not caught up’.

But an occasional lie in will not do much harm for those who are only mildly sleep deprived if you get about 30 minutes less sleep each night he noted.

But sleeping in at the weekend can have a knock-on effect for your body clock if it prevents you from getting outdoors in the morning, said the professor.

Exposure to morning light helps the body get into the pattern of waking up earlier and falling asleep earlier he explained.

Professor Foster suggested that those who are sleep deprived go to sleep earlier in the evening and stick to their regular routine.

‘You can oversleep at the weekends, but make sure you are going to bed earlier rather than staying in bed later’ he added.