How can you pay off sleep debt?
Have you ever felt exhausted all day, no matter how much you slept? When you go through extended periods of sleep deprivation, your body accumulates sleep debt—and unfortunately, sleeping in for a day or two won’t completely erase it. 1 So, how can you pay off sleep debt effectively?
Your body tries to pay off its "debt”
When sleep debt accumulates, your body will do whatever it can to make up for it. One way it tries to pay off this debt is through microsleep—brief episodes of sleep lasting just a few seconds, sometimes up to several tens of seconds. You often don’t even realize that you dozed off. 2
Microsleep can reduce concentration and increase the chances of making mistakes. If it happens while driving or handling important tasks, the risk of accidents rises significantly. In other words, sleep debt isn’t just about feeling tired—it can affect your daily life and even your safety.
You can’t pay off sleep debt all at once
Sleep debt isn’t something you can pay off in one lump sum. 3 Instead, think of it as a debt you need to repay in installments over time. Taking short naps can help relieve immediate drowsiness, but the most effective way to reduce sleep debt is by consistently getting a little extra sleep each night.
For example, making a habit of going to bed 30 minutes to an hour earlier than usual can gradually help you pay off your sleep debt. However, sleeping too much during the day or trying to “catch up” by sleeping all day can disrupt your sleep rhythm—ultimately making sleep deprivation worse.
Caring for yourself, even when busy
We all know that "going to bed early and waking up early" is the ideal, but in reality, it’s not that simple. After a long day, it’s tempting to unwind by scrolling through your phone, or maybe you have unfinished work keeping you up late. Changing your sleep habits overnight can be challenging.
That’s why Nightly doesn’t just tell you to "sleep earlier." Instead, it helps you find practical, sustainable ways to improve your sleep based on your current lifestyle and patterns. For instance:
- Keeping a consistent wake-up time
- Creating a bedtime routine
- Going to bed just 10 minutes earlier than usual
- Finding a sleep schedule that works for you
By making small, manageable changes like these, you can prevent sleep debt from piling up—without drastically changing your lifestyle.
Reduce Your Sleep Debt the Healthy Way with Nightly!
Simply sleeping more isn’t enough to erase sleep debt. The key is to gradually replenish your sleep while maintaining a consistent routine. Nightly analyzes your sleep data and provides personalized, practical sleep plans tailored to your lifestyle.
Why not start tonight? Let Nightly help you take better care of your sleep!