The question is whether sleep can be accumulated, that is, whether a person who sleeps no more than three or four hours a day during the work week can make up for that lost sleep by sleeping 12 hours on weekends. And the answer is no.
We usually call delayed sleep the lack of sleep you accumulate, so to speak, meaning you get less rest than you should. It depends on your age, but it is recommended to sleep at least seven hours a day. The youngest sleep more hours and the oldest less. If you sleep less than those seven or eight hours each weekday, you’re not going to make up for it by sleeping more at the weekend. What happens is that if you sleep very well every day, ie enough hours, the fact that you sleep less one day is not very relevant. But it’s not the same the other way around: late sleep cannot be compensated for in a single day.
If you think you’re getting less than those seven hours of sleep, try getting a little more sleep over time. If you worked a lot and slept a little less one week, you can make up for it with eight or eight and a half hours of sleep the following week. Also, you shouldn’t sleep much more as it can cause you to wake up very tired. But too little one day and too much the next day not only doesn’t compensate for the lack of sleep, it also takes its toll in the long run.
Lack of sleep causes increased cardiovascular risk, impaired glucose metabolism that causes an increased risk of type 2 diabetes and an increased risk of obesity.
There are times when it’s difficult to fall asleep because you’re very stressed, and that’s when melatonin can work as a sleep aid taken an hour or an hour and a half before bedtime. It’s not a panacea, but if it’s just a specific problem related to stress spikes, melatonin can help. In any case, we recommend that you consult your family doctor before taking any medication.
There are people who say they only sleep three or four hours or even less. It’s possible there’s a case, but it’s hard to believe. This can also be people who certainly don’t sleep more than four or five hours at night, but then sleep two hours during the day. They ended up getting their six or seven hours of sleep all day, a time much closer to the recommendation because the sleep cycle is twenty-four hours. Although there are people who suffer from chronic insomnia, lack of sleep eventually takes its toll. They say that Santiago Ramón y Cajal wasn’t asleep, but we don’t know if it’s true or not.
The first recommendation that people with insomnia are definitely given is not to sleep during the day, as this makes it easier for them to sleep better at night.
Maria Elisa, Calle Puron He is a specialist in epidemiology, preventive medicine and public health.
Question emailed by P. Fernandez
Coordination and editing:victory bull
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The advice in this office is of a general nature and does not replace medical advice. If you have any questions about your specific problem, ask your doctor or pharmacist.