What is sleep debt and what are the signs that you're not getting enough sleep?

The fast-paced lifestyle that characterizes today's society has severe repercussions on people's routines. Influenced by a culture of productivity, people tend to sleep fewer hours than necessary.

However, the accumulation of unslept hours creates a "sleep debt" that affects people's physical and mental health and is difficult to repay.

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"Sleep debt" is an informal term that refers to the accumulation of sleep deprivation—when you sleep less than you need over several days, hours of sleep deficit accumulate. As this debt grows, the body and mind begin to experience a series of negative effects, which directly impact performance.

What are the symptoms of a "sleep debt"?

Some of the symptoms that indicate that you owe your body several hours of sleep are:

• Excessive daytime sleepiness
• Difficulty concentrating
• Short-term memory problems
• Irritability
• Mood swings
• Difficulty making decisions or solving problems
• Lack of physical energy

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In the long term, a severe "sleep debt" increases the risk of cardiovascular diseases such as hypertension, metabolic disorders such as obesity or type 2 diabetes, and cognitive decline.

How to pay off your "sleep debt"?

The most obvious answer to this question is to get more sleep, but the quality of sleep must also be improved.

To achieve this, you should work on sleep hygiene, that is, a set of healthy habits and practices that help improve the duration and quality of rest.

These measures include establishing regular sleep routines, meaning going to bed and waking up at the same time every day, which will help your internal biological clock.

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It's also advisable to avoid using screens before bed, avoid stimulating foods like caffeine or alcohol, and maintain a comfortable sleeping environment by choosing a dark, quiet room with a comfortable temperature.

Daytime naps can partially compensate for sleep deprivation, although they may interfere with regular nighttime sleep.

It's worth noting that not all sleep loss can be fully recovered in all cases. As time goes by and the severity of sleep deprivation increases, it becomes increasingly difficult to "pay off" the debt. Therefore, if you lose, for example, one or two hours one day, the ideal is to make up for it the next day.

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