Can “banking” on sleep prevent tiredness?

by Ryan@Zeo on February 11, 2011

Q:  Can banking sleep really prevent tiredness? I just read an article and am surprised by the findings! What do the sleep experts out there think?

    A:  To a certain extent, yes. Recent sleep research indicates that “banking sleep” beforehand can improve performance after subsequent sleep restriction or total deprivation.   Also, banking sleep before an expected time of sleep deprivation allows you to recover from the deprivation faster.

      The formal term for banking sleep is “sleep extension.” By getting a good night’s sleep, subjects of an earlier 2009 study were able to stay more alert than those who didn’t bank sleep before undergoing a week straight of only 3 hours of sleep a night.  Banking sleep also led to higher scores on various cognitive tests, though don’t wait until the night before an exam to start getting more.

      For those who are competitive athletes, a 2008 study by Léger et al., published in the Journal of Sports Science, noticed that sailors who banked sleep before a long, grueling sail not only were less sleepy, they ended up winning the Tour de France à la voile. So sleep management is a crucial element of strategy in difficult tasks of endurance.

      Even if you’re not a soldier or athlete, managing sleep can make a real difference in ordinary life. This is crucial, as most of us don’t get enough sleep during the week and try to catch up by sleeping in during the weekend.

      However, this “5 days on, 2 days off” model may not be enough to repay your debt in the first place. Insufficient sleep recovery over the weekend may lead to good performance on Monday, but it’s followed by rapidly worsening alertness and cognitive performance as the sleep-restricted week wears on.  This pattern is called chronic sleep debt, and it requires more than a couple days of sleeping in an extra hour to get back to normal.

      To keep yourself in the black,  it’s therefore best to bank your sleep every night by getting the recommended 7-9 hours.

      Still have questions?  Ask yours here

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