Does Extra Weekend Sleep Really Help?
Men’s Health Magazine Online | August 22, 2013
The best part of Saturday morning: no alarm. However, logging more sleep on the weekend isn’t enough to fix a poor week of shuteye, a new study from Penn State Hershey Medical Center says.
Researchers tracked the grogginess, problem-solving abilities, motor skills, and reaction times of subjects who got 6 hours of sleep for six consecutive nights, followed by three 10-hour nights of snoozing. While the longer sessions decreased sleepy feelings, the other functions did not return to normal.
The extended sleep cycle during weekends only partially reverses the negative effects on cognitive functioning of a restricted sleep schedule, and may lead to adverse health effects in the long run, says study coauthor Alexandros N. Vgontzas, M.D.
Feeling like a zombie Monday through Friday? You're not alone. According to the U.S. National Sleep Foundation, 25 percent of the population doesn’t get enough sleep during the workweek due to, well, work demands. While slamming the snooze button on Saturdays may provide a quick fix, here's one more reminder of what you already know: nothing compares to a good night’s rest. Click here for 7 easy ways to get more sleep.
