A recent study denied the common belief among millions of people in the world about compensating for lack of sleep on weekends by sleeping more and for long hours, and according to researchers, the increase in sleep deprivation means an increase in recovery time.
Lack of sleep and the resulting health problems have always been the subject of research and analysis by experts, especially after the Corona pandemic, which greatly affected the human lifestyle.
The number of hours of sleep varies from person to person and from child to adult, but researchers agree that sleeping continuously at night for a period of up to nine hours is considered healthy.
The researchers believe that sleep habits and duration have changed since two decades, and are affected by the region and the nature of human work.
According to an American study, to compensate for an hour of lack of sleep, it may require sleeping four nights of seven to nine hours each night.
Sleep medicine experts say that the best way to compensate for lack of sleep is to stick to a regular bedtime schedule.
Lack of sleep and sleep disturbances are linked to the risk of developing health problems, especially heart disease and immune disorders.
Compensating for hours of lack of sleep may be difficult for people who work on a daily basis or suffer from chronic diseases.
In this context, Dr. Hadi Jardaq, Consultant Internal Medicine and Sleep Medicine at Harley Street Medical Center, said:
- An adult needs 7 to 9 hours of sleep a day.
- There are people who manage to sleep less than that, but as we get older we can’t make up for lost rest on other days.
- These are exposed to negative health problems such as pressure and diabetes.
- Sleep hours should be well organized, and stimuli should be avoided and connected to electronic devices.
- The use of medications and hypnotics have very negative long-term effects and may cause Alzheimer’s.