Sleep

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Staying up late to work, study or scroll through a phone may seem harmless when followed by a long sleep on the weekend, but repeatedly missing sleep can accumulate into what health experts call “sleep debt.” Sleep debt refers to the amount of sleep a person loses over time compared with what their body needs. For example, someone who needs eight hours of sleep but regularly gets only six can accumulate two hours of sleep debt each night. Adults generally need around seven to nine hours of sleep each night. Yet regularly getting less than that can affect much more than energy levels. Accumulated sleep loss has been associated with changes in metabolism, blood sugar regulation, cardiovascular health, immune function, memory and emotional well-being.