Simply sleeping late on Saturday doesn’t counter the ill-effects of a lack of sleep during the week.
In tests, researchers found that a 10-hour “recovery” snooze was not sufficient to make up for a few nights of four hours of sleep.
Participants scored poorly in measures of attention span and reaction times.
The study counters the currently held view that there is “tremendous recovery” in just one night’s sleep.
It means several nights of extra sleep may be needed for those who have been burning the candle at both ends.
“The bottom line is that adequate recovery sleep duration is important for coping with the effects of chronic sleep restriction on the brain”
“Lifestyles that involve chronic sleep restriction during the work week and during days off work may result in continuing build-up of sleep pressure and in an increased likelihood of loss of alertness and increased errors.”
“The bottom line is that adequate recovery sleep duration is important for coping with the effects of chronic sleep restriction on the brain.”
In previous research, it was found that sleeping six hours a night or fewer for two weeks has the same negative effects as two nights of total sleep deprivation.
Source: BBC.com, A weekend lie-in may not help catch up on lost sleep, August 1, 2010
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-10819746
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