Do you ever wake up tired, even after what seemed like a full night’s sleep? Maybe you find yourself yawning through meetings or reaching for extra coffee just to get by. If you can’t figure out why you’re still so tired, you might be dealing with something called “sleep debt.”
Sleep debt isn’t something you’ll find on a bank statement, but it can weigh on your daily life just as much as any financial burden. It’s the difference between how much sleep your body needs and how much you actually get. And just like with money, those missing hours can add up over time, making you feel even more exhausted.
‘Sleep debt’ might sound like a strange idea. How can you “owe” sleep? Who are you even owing? And does it really matter if you pay it back?
In this article, we’ll look at what sleep debt means, how it builds up, and how you can pay it off. If you’re tired of feeling tired, you’re in the right place. Let’s get started.
What is Sleep Debt?
Sleep debt, also known as sleep deficit, is the total amount of sleep you owe to your body when you regularly get less sleep than you need. Another way to explain it is the hours meant for sleeping that you haven’t used. This is derived from the hours you spent sleeping minus the hours recommended for you to spend sleeping.
The difference between the hours you allocate to sleep and the hours you should be sleeping can be significant if you are consistently sleep-deprived. There is a minimum number of hours people are often advised to spend sleeping, usually derived from their age group. For example, people between the ages of 18-60 years are recommended to get at least 7 hours of sleep daily. So, if one sleeps for 5 hours instead, they have accumulated 2 hours of sleep debt.
However, sleep debt is usually not gained from not sleeping well for one day or night, as it accumulates over weeks, months, and even years, and this can adversely affect your life. Sleep, especially night sleep, is a very important part of one’s daily routine. It’s as important as eating a balanced meal and working out, and failure to get the right number of sleep hours could have short and long-term effects on the body.
Why Do People Have Sleep Debt?
Now that we’ve explained what sleep debt is, the next thing is to understand why people have sleep debt at all. While it might seem like a straightforward explanation, people incur sleep debt for a number of reasons, and more than half the time, it’s unintentional.
People who work more than one shift per day will hardly be getting their recommended hours of sleep as they will spend most of their time at work and between work. This is truer for people who work late in the day or at night, as they would find it hard to sleep for long during the day, even when they have no work.
Students in universities of people generally preparing for exams may go into sleep debt as they find ways to spend long hours reading and revising, leaving whatever little time they can spare, often less than four hours a day, for sleep.
High stress, racing thoughts, and too much cortisol can upset your natural sleep cycle, making it harder to fall asleep or stay asleep. Over time, this lack of rest adds up and leads to sleep debt.
There are also those with generally poor nighttime habits that cause them not to sleep well. This includes people who reserve their nights for watching movies or gaming or those who spend hours scrolling on their phones.
There are so many other reasons why people gain sleep debt, but the key thing to remember is that they do not justify not getting proper sleep.
Effects of Sleep Debt
How bad can sleep debt be? Many people ignore sleep debt because they feel it does not cause them any problems. Someone who sleeps for just 3 hours in the night and is seemingly able to carry on the next day without any visible sign of something being off may not take sleep debt seriously, but the effects are there, and while some may show up in a matter of days, some others, which are more severe, would appear as the sleep debt is increased.
Some common effects of sleep debt include:
1. Cognitive impairment
Sleep debt, even in the short term, reduces focus, memory retention, and decision-making abilities, making it harder to concentrate and process information. Because the brain is not allowed to rest properly each day before being used for the next day’s activity, people with sleep debt may find it tough to recall things or pay attention for more than a few minutes before zoning out.
Furthermore, when you don’t get enough sleep, your brain doesn’t have enough time to clear out waste and toxins that build up during the day. This nightly “clean-up” is done by the glymphatic system, which becomes most active during deep sleep. Without enough deep rest, you may experience brain fog, forgetfulness, and trouble focusing, and over time, this buildup of waste—like amyloid-beta proteins—can increase the risk of Alzheimer’s disease and other brain problems.
2. Weakened immune system
Sleep is the body’s natural way of healing and strengthening itself, especially when it comes to your immune system. But with busy schedules, late-night screens, and daily stress, many people aren’t getting the restful sleep they need. When you miss out on sleep, your body produces fewer protective immune cells and antibodies, making it harder to fight off infections and illnesses.
Chronic sleep deprivation weakens the body’s ability to fight infections. Sleep debt weakens the immune system by reducing the production of infection-fighting cells and proteins, such as cytokines, antibodies, and white blood cells. This weakened immune response makes it harder for the body to fight off viruses and bacteria, increasing vulnerability to illnesses like colds, flu, and other infections. This could, over time and if not managed, lead to prolonged recovery times and a higher risk of inflammatory diseases.
3. Increased risk of heart disease
Sleep helps regulate blood pressure and heart function. When you don’t get enough rest, your body produces more stress hormones, keeping your heart rate elevated. This constant strain can lead to hypertension and increase the risk of heart attacks and strokes.
4. Weight gain and metabolic issues
Poor sleep increases hunger hormones, leading to overeating and cravings for junk food. It also affects insulin sensitivity, increasing the likelihood of weight gain and metabolic issues like diabetes.
Not getting enough sleep doesn’t just leave you feeling tired. It can also make it easier to gain weight. When you’re sleep deprived, your body produces more of the hormone ghrelin (which makes you feel hungry) and less leptin (which signals fullness), leading to stronger cravings and a higher chance of overeating, especially on unhealthy foods. Over time, this hormonal imbalance can increase your risk of becoming overweight or obese, as studies have shown a clear link between sleep loss and weight gain.
Research shows that not getting enough quality sleep can disrupt your metabolism, making it harder for your body to process glucose and increasing your risk of weight gain, obesity, and type 2 diabetes.
5. Mood disorders and mental health issues
Sleep plays a key role in regulating emotions. Sleep debt raises stress hormone levels, making you more irritable, anxious, and at greater risk for mood disorders like depression.
Some common examples of sleep debt symptoms include fatigue, slurred speech, puffy eyes, frequent yawning, headaches, dizziness, etc.
How to Pay Off Sleep Debt
The next question is, “How do I pay off sleep debt?” As we’ve seen so far, sleep debt is not something pretty to carry about. But the good news is it’s very easy to pay off, and you can start doing that today by following these steps:
1. Get the recommended hours of sleep
The first thing to do is to start sleeping well, and the only way to do that is to make sure you are getting the recommended hours of sleep. As we noted above, there are average hours of sleep recommended for people based on their age:
- Newborns (0–3 months): 14–17 hours per day
- Infants (4–11 months): 12–15 hours per day (including naps)
- Toddlers (1–2 years): 11–14 hours per day (including naps)
- Preschoolers (3–5 years): 10–13 hours per day (including naps)
- School-age children (6–13 years): 9–11 hours per night
- Teenagers (14–17 years): 8–10 hours per night
- Young adults (18–25 years): 7–9 hours per night
- Adults (26–64 years): 7–9 hours per night
- Older adults (65+ years): 7–8 hours per night.
The above chart provides you with the number of hours you should spend sleeping per day/night based on your age. Following this will allow you to get the right amount of sleep every day, making sure you are in top condition by the time you wake.
2. Stick to a consistent sleep schedule
Keep a regular sleep schedule by going to bed and waking up at about the same time every day, including weekends. This consistency helps your body’s internal clock, or circadian rhythm, stay on track, making it easier to fall asleep at night and wake up feeling refreshed in the morning. Over time, sticking to a set sleep routine can improve both the quality and quantity of your sleep, making it easier to recover from sleep debt.
3. Keep a healthy daily and nighttime habit
To start paying off sleep debt, making a few changes to your daily habits is important. the following tips can help you:
- Limit caffeine intake to one to three cups in the morning.
- Avoid caffeine at least eight hours before bedtime, as it can make it harder to fall and stay asleep.
- Be mindful of alcohol; while it may help you fall asleep initially, it disrupts deep sleep and causes more nighttime awakenings.
- Limit alcohol to one or two drinks earlier in the evening, or avoid it altogether.
- Limit fluid intake before bed to reduce nighttime bathroom trips.
- Avoid eating late; try not to eat for at least two hours before going to sleep.
- Reduce exposure to artificial light in the evening by dimming lights and staying away from screens before bed.
- Consider using red-light bulbs or night lights, as they are less likely to interfere with your sleep cycle.
These small changes can help you get more restful sleep and gradually repay your sleep debt.
4. Take naps and use your weekends
If you’re someone with a high sleep debt, that is, if you’ve been barely getting four hours of sleep for months or years, you should do a lot to make up for the lost nights. This includes taking naps during the day and finding time during your weekends to sleep. If you nap, keep it to about 20 to 40 minutes and avoid napping late in the day so it does not affect your sleep at night.
5. Minimize sleep interruptions by improving your breathing
How you breathe, especially at night, plays a major role in how well you sleep and how quickly you can pay off sleep debt. Proper nasal breathing helps your body relax, supports deep, restorative sleep, and allows your brain and body to repair themselves overnight.
On the other hand, irregular or mouth breathing can cause you to wake up frequently, feel restless, or even experience sleep disorders like snoring and sleep apnea. These interruptions keep you from reaching the deep sleep your body needs to recover.
If you often wake up tired, have a dry mouth, or notice symptoms like snoring or nighttime congestion, your breathing may affect your sleep more than you realize. The good news is that simple changes like encouraging nasal breathing and addressing congestion can make a big difference.
Cultivating healthy breathing habits can minimize sleep interruptions and give your body the deep rest it needs to pay off sleep debt. It is possible to completely pay off your sleep debt, you just have to start sleeping better tonight!
MyoTape Supports Healthy Breathing While Sleep
One of the most effective ways to have longer and deeper sleep, with fewer interruptions, is to ensure you are breathing through your nose while sleeping. Nasal breathing gives you better sleep quality. Thus, you can not only avoid sleep debt but also pay off your sleep debt.
However, breathing nasally on your own while sleeping can be difficult. MyoTape is a simple but powerful mouth tape that trains you to nose breathe while asleep. Designed by world-renowned breathing expert Patrick McKeown, it gently holds your lips together, encouraging the muscles around your mouth to keep it closed while sleeping or awake. Unlike full mouth taping, MyoTape stimulates nasal breathing while allowing you to release air as necessary, making it a safe and effective option during sleep.
You can check out our range of effective mouth taping products designed for everyone, including mouth tape for kids, adults, those with sensitive skin, and even those with facial hair. Visit our online shop today to find the best MyoTape solution for you and start your journey to better, healthier breathing.
