Can you make up sleep with naps

The answer is yes — for the most part. Why the qualifier? It depends if you're suffering from acute or chronic sleep debt. Of course, if you have chronic sleep debt, you almost certainly have acute sleep debt as well. Acute sleep debt happens in the short term. This kind of sleep debt can have immediate, negative impacts on your emotional, cognitive, and physical well-being.

In the short term, not getting enough sleep can increase anxiety, make you feel irritable or moody, and weaken your immune system. You might also notice trouble with your memory, focus, reaction time, or motor skills. After 24 hours with no sleep, the effect is similar to having a blood alcohol level of 0. This might be hard to believe since losing sleep throughout the week doesn't feel the same as pulling an all-nighter. That's because our bodies adapt, but more on this later.

The good news: It is possible to catch up on acute sleep debt and reverse its negative side effects. Chronic sleep debt, on the other hand, is long term. This is the kind of sleep deprivation caused by decades of insufficient sleep. So for example, if you spent your 20s, 30s, and 40s getting only six hours of sleep per night when your body needed 8. Over time, the cumulative effects of chronic sleep debt have been associated with serious health consequences, including insulin resistance, an increased risk of high blood pressure, diabetes, obesity, depression, heart disease, and stroke.

But all hope is not lost. Even though you may or may not be able to catch up on chronic sleep deprivation or resolve its effects, you can still tackle your acute sleep debt. Roy Raymann, resident sleep expert and vice president of sleep science and scientific affairs at SleepScore Labs , tells Elite Daily the best time of day to schedule snooze time would be between 2 p.

Additionally, he recommends aiming to sleep for a good 20 to 30 minutes max, so you can avoid that icky groggy feeling Brantner mentioned. In general, though, Rob Bent, co-founder and chief product officer of SOM SLEEP , only recommends split-sleeping if you know for a fact that you'll be short-slept for a week or less, and you can make up the difference with a long nap in the early afternoon. By Julia Guerra.

Search Close. The deficit then continues into the next week. Chronically losing sleep has the potential to cause many health problems.

It can put you at an increased risk for diabetes, a weakened immune system, and high blood pressure. You might also have higher levels of cortisol —a stress hormone.

This can lead to anger, depression, and even suicidal thoughts. In addition, drowsiness increases your risk of falling asleep behind the wheel and getting into an accident. Not everyone needs the same number of hours of sleep per night. Some people need nine or more, and others are fine with six or less. To figure out how much you need, take stock of how you feel the next day after different amounts of sleep. You can also figure out how much sleep you need by allowing your body to sleep as much as it needs over the course of a few days.

The benefits of getting enough sleep are often overlooked. Getting enough sleep improves learning and memory.

This means that if you get nine hours instead of seven hours, it might take you less time to do tasks the next day, because your brain will be sharper. Doing tasks faster then makes it easier to go to bed at a reasonable hour the next night. Additionally, getting more sleep can help your body stay healthy. It protects your heart and helps keep your blood pressure low, your appetite normal, and your blood glucose levels in the normal range.

During sleep, your body releases a hormone that helps you grow. It also repairs cells and tissue and improves your muscle mass. Adequate sleep is good for your immune system, helping you ward off infections.

The good news is that getting enough sleep can reverse the increased risk of these diseases. In a culture that values hard work and dedication, deep sleep often takes a back seat. However, depriving yourself of enough sleep can actually make your performance worse.