How Bad is a Loss of Only 30 Minutes of Sleep?

Which is better: finishing up your to-do list and preparing for the next day by getting 30 minutes less sleep or going to bed with the list unfinished but getting an addition 30 minutes of sleep at night? According to the results of a study at the University of Bristol and Weill Cornell Medical College, getting the extra 30 minutes is essential. Even the minor problem of pushing back your bedtime only 30 minutes will throw of your body’s clock and leave a significant effect on your system.

The concept of sleep debt occurs when you don’t get enough sleep one night, your body feels the ‘debt’ of the missed sleep. Now, you ‘owe’ your body the missed amount of sleep or else you will feel the effects of this in the long-term. It was found that participants in the study experiencing weekday sleep debt were 72 percent more likely to be obese. After a 6-month study, there was a significant connection found between high weekday sleep debt, obesity, and insulin resistance.

One of the lead researchers on the study, Professor Shahrad Taheri from Weill Cornell said, “As little as 30 minutes a day in sleep debts can have significant effects on obesity and insulin resistance. Sleep loss is widespread in modern society, but only in the last decade have we realized its metabolic consequences.”

It is recommended that you get a consistent, recommended amount of sleep per night because the effects of ‘sleep debt’, even if it is made up, can harm your body. In the future, the professionals hope to conduct more studies, specifically long-term, cross-sectional analysis of people of all ages.

If you are worried about your weekday, weekend, or any sleep patterns in general, contact the professionals at FusionSleep for an appointment. Their doctors are pleased to discuss any concerns you may have with your patterns and determine if you have a sleep disorder which needs immediate treatment.