The research we're taking a look at.
Many people skimp on sleep throughout the week and check out to make up for lost time on the weekend. But a study published on February 28 Current biology shows that this strategy won't necessarily reverse the negative effects of sleep deprivation in your body.
The study, conducted in a sleep laboratory, tested the health effects of three sleep strategies over a two-week period. Participants in a single group were allowed to sleep as much as nine hours an evening. Those within the second group were restricted to 5 hours an evening. People within the third group slept five hours an evening throughout the week, but were allowed to sleep on Saturdays and Sundays.
Researchers found that those that were sleep deprived — defined as lower than seven hours an evening — experienced changes of their metabolism, saw a 13 percent decrease in insulin sensitivity, and gained a median of three kilos throughout the study. The group allowed to atone for weekend sleep saw no improvement in these markers, and the researchers found that their sleep quality actually worsened after they went back to their five-hour weekday sleep schedule.
The message is that this: Instead of playing catch-up on the weekends, it is higher to keep on with a consistent sleep schedule that permits for not less than seven hours an evening.
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