{"id":13318,"date":"2026-09-18T18:55:09","date_gmt":"2026-09-18T18:55:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/jamaicahospital.org\/newsletter\/?p=13318"},"modified":"2026-09-18T19:55:40","modified_gmt":"2026-09-18T19:55:40","slug":"can-you-actually-catch-up-on-lost-sleep","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/jamaicahospital.org\/newsletter\/can-you-actually-catch-up-on-lost-sleep\/","title":{"rendered":"Can You Actually Catch Up on Lost Sleep?"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"<\/a>For many of us, getting enough sleep during the week can be challenging. Common<\/span> activities like work, commuting, social life, downtime, and watching TV can cause us to lose sleep. <\/span>As a result, more than one-third of Americans get less than seven hours of sleep per night, rather than the recommended seven to nine hours. The loss of those one to two hours is called sleep debt.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Sleep debt, or sleep deficit, is the difference between how much sleep you need and how much you get.\u00a0<\/span>Sleep debt is cumulative, so going to sleep a half hour or an hour later than normal over a few days can add up quickly. Two weeks of sleeping just six hours a night produces the same level of cognitive impairment as if you stayed awake for two full days straight. Other side effects caused by sleep debt can include:<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n