Is Make-Up Sleep Good for You?

The first summer holiday is upon us and I have some good news: if you burn the candle on both ends during the week, you may be able to make up for it by sleeping a little extra on weekends. Based on a Swedish study of over 40,000 subjects tracked over 13 years, consistently getting fewer than five hours of sleep per night was associated with higher mortality. But when subjects were able to get extra sleep on weekends, that risk was cancelled.

My philosophy is that we’re going to be dead a long time, so if you must get less sleep during the week to accomplish all you want, so be it. I’ve often told people who’ve asked that as long as you can turn off the alarm and sleep in at least one day a week, that can help. Now there’s some science to back up what I’ve said for years. True, it’s just an observational study and sleep certainly varies by individual, but make-up sleep may be what you need to keep going through the week.

Enjoy the long weekend, and do yourself a favor: get some extra sleep. It may be just the thing you need for your health.

What are you prepared to do today?