We’ve all said it—“I’ll catch up on sleep this weekend.” But neuroscience says it doesn’t quite work like that. A major study from Penn and Harvard reveals that while short-term sleep deprivation can be temporarily masked by weekend lie-ins, the damage to cognitive function, memory, and metabolic health accumulates faster than it can be reversed. Long-term sleep debt is more like compound interest on a bad loan. What’s better? A consistent sleep schedule, even if it means 7 hours instead of 9. Plus, even brief exposure to morning sunlight and a wind-down routine (no screens, low light, no late-night doomscrolling) can help reset circadian rhythms and reduce the physiological impact of poor sleep.
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Weekend catch-up sleep won’t fix the effects of sleep deprivation on your waistline - Harvard Health
Trying to make up for not getting enough sleep during the week by sleeping longer on weekends has been found to have negative effects such as weight gain, expending less energy, and increased calor…
Katherine Dudley, MD, MPH