The list of things that mess with your sleep is long: being on your smartphone right before you turn off the lights, having a nightcap, mentally running through every embarrassing thing you've ever done as you lie in bed, etc. Now there's a new "don't" to add to that list: If you didn't sleep well last night, do not go to bed early tonight.
In a study presented at SLEEP 2016, the annual meeting of the American Academy of Sleep Medicine and the Sleep Research Society, people who turned in early, slept in later or took naps to compensate for a night (or nights) of tossing and turning were more likely to go from acute insomnia to chronic insomnia instead of back to normal, healthy sleep. (Acute insomnia is defined as three or more instances per week of taking 30-plus minutes to fall asleep or being awake for 30-plus minutes during the night for at least two weeks; chronic insomnia has the same criteria, lasting for three months or more.)
The researchers recruited 500 "good" sleepers (for instance, taking 15 minutes or less to fall asleep, on average) and followed them for 12 months, asking subjects to fill out daily diaries and frequent questionnaires about their sleep. By the end of the year, 20 percent of the subjects developed acute insomnia at some point, and of those, 48 percent continued to deal with intermittent insomnia, 7 percent developed chronic insomnia, and 45 percent returned to good sleep. What was the key difference between who recovered and who got worse? Trying to make up for lost sleep.
The problem with sleep extension is that it feels good in the short term but messes with your body's sleep system, says Michael Perlis, PhD, lead author of the study and director of the Behavioral Sleep Medicine Program at University of Pennsylvania's Perelman School of Medicine. Meaning, if you've only been getting six hours a night recently due to stress but you go to bed two hours earlier in hopes of catching up, you're very likely to still sleep for six hours and spend those other two hours awake, which just fuels your insomnia.
Instead, the best approach is to "do nothing. Don't sleep in, don't nap, and don't go to bed early," says Perlis. "Acute insomnia will fix itself in three to five days if you do nothing. If you sleep extend, you may have insomnia for life." Doing nothing looks like this: If you normally sleep from 10 p.m. to 6 a.m., but it took an hour to nod off or you were awake from 1 to 2 a.m. last night, you should still get up at 6 a.m. and keep your 10-o'clock bedtime the following night. Keep that same schedule until you're sleeping like your old self again.
We get that in this instance, "doing nothing" is actually really hard, so if you can't help hitting snooze or sneaking in an afternoon nap, here's how you fix it: If you slept in or catnapped for an hour the day after sleeping badly, instead of going to bed at 10 p.m., go to bed at 11 p.m. or, ideally, 11:15 or 11:30 p.m. ("You've borrowed from your awake time by sleep extending, and loans are never made without interest," says Perlis), then get up at 6 o'clock the next morning.
Put that extra time before bed to good use by trying this calming yoga routine or a bedtime ritual from some of the best-rested people we know.
FAQs
The cumulative effects of sleep loss and sleep disorders have been associated with a wide range of deleterious health consequences including an increased risk of hypertension, diabetes, obesity, depression, heart attack, and stroke.
What happens when you consistently sleep too little? ›
Sleep deficiency can interfere with work, school, driving, and social functioning. You might have trouble learning, focusing, and reacting. Also, you might find it hard to judge other people's emotions and reactions. Sleep deficiency also can make you feel frustrated, cranky, or worried in social situations.
Is 5 hours of sleep enough? ›
Experts recommend adults get at least 7 hours of sleep per night for better health. Consistently getting less than 5 hours of sleep can have adverse effects on physical and mental health. Inadequate sleep can impact memory, mood, concentration, immunity, and overall quality of life.
Are people who sleep less more successful? ›
Some of the most successful people in the world not onlywork extremely hard in the hours they have, they create more of them by forgoing sleep. Some people are genetically wired to wake up earlier or sleep less. Others seem to thrive on less sleep only through sheer determination.
How many hours of sleep is too little? ›
Experts recommend that adults sleep between 7 and 9 hours a night. Adults who sleep less than 7 hours a night may have more health issues than those who sleep 7 or more hours a night.
Is too little sleep worse than no sleep? ›
Sleeping beyond the minimum 90-minute cycle may mean you fall deeper into your sleep cycle and will find it much harder to wake up. The best answer to this question is that some sleep is always better than none. Trying to get in a power nap or achieving that full 90-minute cycle is better for you than no sleep at all.
How long does it take to recover from years of sleep deprivation? ›
This can be a single night or last for weeks, months or even years. If a person has sleep deprivation, they can recover by getting sufficient quality sleep. However, when sleep deprivation is severe or has lasted a long time, it can take multiple nights — or even up to a week — for a person to recover.
How little sleep is considered unhealthy? ›
New research affirms the role sleep plays in supporting immune levels. Sleeping less than six or more than nine hours can increase infection risk. The effects of poor sleep are felt both acutely and long-term.
What is an example of sexsomnia? ›
For a dozen years, a 31-year-old man masturbat*s while asleep, at times injuring his groin. These are all clinically documented cases of sleep sex, or sexsomnia, part of a family of sleep disorders called parasomnias that include sleepwalking, sleep talking, sleep eating and sleep terrors.
How many hours does Elon Musk sleep? ›
Musk told The Wall Street Journal in 2023 that he usually goes to bed around 3 a.m. and sleeps for six hours. So, he's typically waking up around 9 a.m. each day.
Not getting enough sleep can affect your physical and mental health. It can also increase your risk for falls, injuries, and lead to signs of premature aging.
How much sleep is needed by age? ›
How many hours of sleep are enough for good health?
| Age group | Recommended amount of sleep |
|---|
| 3 to 5 years | 10 to 13 hours per 24 hours, including naps |
| 6 to 12 years | 9 to 12 hours per 24 hours |
| 13 to 18 years | 8 to 10 hours per 24 hours |
| Adults | 7 or more hours a night |
2 more rowsThomas Edison (1847-1931), one of the most prolific inventors in history, was renowned for his tireless work ethic and unconventional sleeping habits. He reportedly slept only 3-4 hours at night, preferring to take short power naps throughout the day.
Who slept 3 hours a year? ›
Sleeping for 3 hours a year sounds practically impossible. However, there are many sources which suggest that Einstein, Tesla, Leo Da Vinci and many other past century geniuses did sleep for only a few hours per day or they took several naps of few minutes each, per day.
Do smart people sleep more or less? ›
Psychology Today reported that intelligent people are likely to be nocturnal beings, with those with a higher IQ going bed later on both weeknights and weekends.
What can lack of sleep cause mentally? ›
be more likely to feel anxious, depressed or suicidal. be more likely to have psychotic episodes – poor sleep can trigger mania, psychosis or paranoia, or make existing symptoms worse. feel lonely or isolated – for example, if you don't have the energy to see people or they don't seem to understand.
What happens if you sleep a little? ›
A number of chronic health conditions may be affected by not getting enough sleep on a regular basis. These include high blood pressure, diabetes, heart failure, coronary heart disease and some cancers. You may also be more likely to have a stroke. You're at greater risk of injury.
What are short term risks of lack of sleep? ›
In healthy individuals, short-term consequences include a heightened stress response; pain; depression; anxiety; and cognition, memory, and performance deficits. In adolescents and children, disrupted sleep can lead to poor school performance and behavior problems.
