Many people try to make up for lost sleep on weekends, but does it help? Research shows that while sleeping in on weekends can temporarily reduce sleep debt and improve mood and performance, it doesn’t fully reverse the adverse effects of sleep restriction during the week. For example, a 2019 study by Depner et al. found that weekend recovery sleep did not prevent metabolic dysregulation caused by weekday sleep loss, particularly in glucose tolerance and insulin sensitivity (essential for maintaining a healthy weight and glucose balance), as well as obesity.
Catching up on sleep may improve subjective feelings of rest and reduce daytime sleepiness in the short term. However, inconsistent sleep patterns may disrupt circadian rhythms and impact long-term health. Poor quality and quantity of sleep are known risk factors for heart disease. Inconsistent sleep, sleep dysfunction, or social jetlag have more recently come under the research spotlight and are associated with increased systemic inflammatory biomarkers, especially in women.
Rather than trying to catch up on sleep or bank sleep via weekend sleep-ins, the better strategy is to aim for consistent sleep-wake times across all days of the week, including weekends. Aim to make differences between weekdays and weekends, 30 minutes or less. This supports healthier circadian alignment, better cognitive function, and mood stability. While occasional extra sleep can be beneficial, it’s not a substitute for regular, sufficient nightly sleep.
In short, while weekend catch-up sleep might offer short-term relief, it does not eliminate the physiological or psychological impact of sleep deprivation. Prioritising a consistent sleep routine is key for overall health and well-being.References
- Depner CM et al. Curr Biol. 2019;29(21):3569-3576.e5
- Chaput, JP et al. Nat Rev Endo. 2023 Feb;19(2):82-97
- Dzierzewski JM. et al. Frontiers in Neurology. 2020(11)