Explaining the ideal amount of time to catch up on sleep and what to be careful of
Hello!
How much sleep do you all get on your days off?
Have you ever been fired up to make up for the sleep you didn't get during the week, only to realize it was already past noon?
But wait a minute.
In fact, catching up on sleep isn't always good for your body.
This time, we will talk about "sleeping in on your days off."
- How much sleep is right for you?
- What happens if you overdo it?
- Tips for not putting strain on your body
We will explain these and other topics in an easy-to-understand manner!
By the time you finish reading, you might become a pro at catching up on sleep!
So let's get started!
1. How much sleep is appropriate on a day off?
First, the conclusion.
It's fine to catch up on sleep on your days off, but sleeping too much can sometimes have the opposite effect.
- Within 1-2 hours from weekdays
- If possible, wake up in the morning
This is the ideal line.
You might be thinking, "What? Is that all? I want more sleep!" But there's a good reason for that.
Let's take a closer look at this in the next chapter.
2. The key was "median sleep time"!
Now, here comes the concept of "median sleep time."
The concept is simple: it refers to the exact middle time between falling asleep and waking up.
for example,
- On weekdays, I go to bed at 11pm and wake up at 6am → The middle one is "2:30am"
- On holidays, I go to bed at 1am and wake up at 12pm → The middle one is "6:30am"
It looks like this.
And when this "central time" shifts, our internal clocks start to go haywire.
In other words, "The most frightening thing about catching up on sleep on the weekends isn't the amount of sleep you get, but the disruption of your sleep rhythm!"
3. If the time difference is too great, you might suffer from jet lag!
You may be thinking, "Well, I'm in the same country so there's no way I'll suffer from jet lag."
In fact, there are a lot of cases where people are causing jet lag themselves.
When the central sleep time differs between weekdays and weekends, the body feels as if
"Starting today, we'll be on New York time!"
It starts moving in a similar way.
for example,
- Weekdays 2:30
- 5:30 on holidays
The difference is three hours, which is about the same as flying from Tokyo to Bangkok.
That must be hard on your body.
If this "social jet lag" continues, it can have a variety of negative effects on your daily life.
4. The unexpected risks of jet lag
In fact, the effects of jet lag are more serious than you might think.
According to one study, the more disrupted a person's sleep rhythm,
- obesity
- metabolic syndrome
is known to increase the risk of
in particular,
- Appetite hormone imbalance
- Metabolism slows down
- Disturbances in blood sugar control
This can make you more likely to gain weight and increase your risk of lifestyle-related diseases.
You might think, "I just overslept a little, that's a big deal," but
The body's systems are surprisingly delicate.
5. So what should you do? Three tips for managing sleep cramming
"So I can't oversleep on my days off anymore..."
That's not true!
The important thing is to be a little creative.
Tip 1: Go to bed 30 minutes earlier
If you tend to stay up late, start with this.
The golden rule is, "It's okay to oversleep, but don't stay up late."
You don't have to force yourself to go to bed at 9pm,
Just by setting the clock 30 minutes earlier than usual, the discrepancy with Central Time will be significantly reduced.
Tip 2: Get some morning sun as soon as you wake up
The human body clock is reset by morning light.
Open the curtains,
"Ah, morning has come again today."
All you have to do is expose your face to sunlight.
Before you look at your smartphone, look at the sun.
Please remember this!
Tip 3: Avoid blue light at night
Smartphones, tablets, computers, TVs...
This blue light has a negative effect on the brain.
"It's still daytime!"
This can lead to misunderstandings.
At night, as much as possible
- Warm indirect lighting in the room
- Put your phone in night mode
- No screen time an hour before bed
Let's keep this in mind!
6. Summary: When it comes to catching up on sleep, rhythm is more important than quantity
Finally, let me summarize today's points.
- If you want to catch up on sleep, aim for an extra 1-2 hours
- Don't shift your central sleep time too much
- Disrupting your body clock increases your risk of obesity and lifestyle-related diseases
- Take measures by going to bed early, getting some morning sunlight, and cutting out blue light!
It's not a bad thing to catch up on sleep.
However, if you repeatedly wake up in the afternoon on your days off because you slept too much, subtle damage will accumulate in your body.
The important thing is to respect your body clock as much as possible, even on holidays.
Sleep in rhythm and wake up in rhythm.
That alone will make your Monday mornings a lot easier!
Bonus | What if you accidentally oversleep?
If you accidentally oversleep,
This is the time when your body is super-recovering!
Let's think positively.
Not blaming yourself is also a great healthy habit.
Well then, have a nice holiday!
