Since on the one hand, the interplay of awareness and sleepiness is a constant and yet complex process of sleep-debt and on the other hand a permanent stimulation from the surroundings is happening it is difficult to evaluate the personal sleep tendency. The degree of falling-asleep-probability is therefore depending on two counteracting forces: on our “actual sleep-dept” minus our momentarily level of attention or awareness. It is constantly possible to get excited or stressed from external stimulations up to a level that one is not even aware of a huge sleep debt!
It is not possible, to reduce a huge sleep debt in one night. Let’s say, you slept too less on two consecutive nights – you won’t (be able to) sleep for 14 or 16 hours the following night. In case you want to reduce your sleep debt, you better go to bed earlier than you are used to. Otherwise, you would change your normal waking-up time and this usually would make it much more difficult to fall asleep the following night at the time you are used to. Out of this reason, it is much wiser to pay back your sleep debt during the week by repeatedly going to bed earlier. So, you are able to maintain your normal waking-up time. And this is very important for a steady sleep-wake-rhythm.
It is possible to reduce cumulated sleep debt with power napping at lunch time or early afternoon. At all costs, you should avoid power napping in the late afternoon because this would change your circadian rhythm and this in turn would make getting up in the morning to a real struggle.
Avoid new sleeping debts in future
After figuring out your personal sleeping needs and having paid back your sleeping debt hour by hour, you should permanently install and consider these findings and experiences into your sleep-wake-life. Besides the use of the sleep-healthy-concept and the compliance to the sleep-healthy rules, a steady sleep-wake-rhythm and especially the consideration of your biological necessary sleep duration should become to one of your most important rituals for the rest of your life. In future, avoid new sleeping debts resp. balance them as soon as possible!
Image source: ©fotolia
This post is also available in / Diesen Beitrag gibt es auch in:
German
Leave a Reply