Can you really “catch up” on sleep?

We all deal with poor sleep from time to time. In fact, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reports about 1 in 3 adults in the U.S. report not getting enough sleep every day, and 50 to 70 million Americans have a sleep disorder.

Whether you struggle to fall asleep or find yourself waking up late at night with racing thoughts, bouts of insomnia are both common and frustrating. One night of poor sleep can negatively impact your day, affecting concentration and emotional regulation.

But is it possible to "catch up" on those lost hours later on? According to Dr. Victoria Sharma, medical director of the Sharp Grossmont Hospital Comprehensive Sleep Center, not really.

"You may be able to alleviate some of the sleep debt, but you won’t ever be able to fully pay it off," she says. While some people need more or less sleep than others, she recommends seven to eight hours for most people to function optimally.

Poor sleep affects more than your nights

Dr. Sharma explains that when you find yourself consistently getting fewer than six hours of sleep, it can lead to decreased concentration, reaction time and productivity. This can, in turn, lead to irritability and feeling a reduced sense of well-being.

In fact, according to the National Institutes of Health (NIH), sleep deficiency is linked to many chronic health problems, including:

• Heart disease

• Kidney disease

• High blood pressure

• Diabetes

• Stroke

• Obesity

• Depression

Building good sleep habits

To avoid having to “catch up” on sleep in the first place, Dr. Sharma offers three rules on getting the most restful sleep:

• Avoid alcohol close to bedtime and any caffeine up to six hours prior to bedtime.

• Keep the bed for sleep; avoid watching TV, reading and playing on the phone or computer in bed.

• Get to sleep at the right time to ensure you get seven to eight hours.

“When I still have energy from the day, I like to relax by reading outside of the bed, close to bedtime,” says Dr. Sharma, stressing the importance of keeping the bed for sleeping only.

If anxiety is keeping you up, Dr. Sharma recommends you:

• Set a designated worry time earlier in the evening to process all the things causing you stress.

• Try meditation.

• Get out of bed and do something quiet until you feel sleepy again.

• Don't check the time.

“Do your best not to look at the clock in the middle of the night,” she says. “It doesn't matter what time it is; if it’s not morning yet, try to go back to sleep or get out of bed.”

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