Why am I still tired on Mondays?
09/05/21
Do you live for your weekend lie ins only to return to work on Monday still feeling exhausted and foggy headed? Or do you long for your next holiday where you plan to catch up on sleep with long lie ins and day time naps…then feel like you need another week off afterwards to recover?
If this is you, it’s likely you’re trapped in the deep dark hole of ‘sleep debt’.
What is sleep debt?
Sleep debt is a deficit in sleep. The minutes shaved off our slumber that, over multiple nights, add up to hours. This often happens without us being conscious of it.
Life is busy. We’re now coming out of a long period of lockdown restrictions, returning to work or commuting instead of working at home, socialising with friends and family and getting back to the gym, pools and classes, on top of everything else we already have to do with our days. Fitting all of this in inevitably has a detrimental impact on our sleep over time. It could be going to bed late because we wanted to watch the Line of Duty episode we missed before Sandra at work revealed a spoiler. Or is it waking extra early to get those lengths done in the pool before work as we’ve missed that energising feeling of plunging into water whilst they’ve been closed? It could be disturbed sleep because we hit the pub for some outdoor bevvies with our mates we haven’t seen in ages and thoroughly enjoyed ourselves. Whatever it is, we are often not getting the amount of sleep we need for full recovery of our bodies and minds each day.
What can sleep debt do?
Prolonged sleep debt has a number of consequences including:
Impaired cognition such as decreased concentration, poor memory, “head”
Emotional lability, also known as mood swings and irritability
Compromised immune function and increased risk of medical conditions including diabetes, hypertension and strokes
Metabolic dysregulation which can be a contributing factor in weight gain.
Feeling exhausted you lack motivation for and interest in anything.
So can I catch up on sleep?
The idea of spending time catching up on sleep is something most of us love when we’re feeling exhausted. The thought of a weekend lie in can be what motivates us to get through the week/s. In reality, however, can we actually catch up on sleep?
Good news is, sleep debt can be repaid. Bad news is, it takes more than one ultra-marathon of a lie in to repay it. For the average sleep debt it can take days into weeks to ‘catch up’ and for the chronically sleep deprived it can take months.
Our internal sleep/wake body clock relies on routine and consistency for the undisturbed sleep we crave and need. If we sleep for extended periods on weekends this can lead to what feels like jet lag or a hangover as our body clock attempts to deal with the confusion.
The gold standard recommendation, therefore, is to avoid sleep debt in the first place. However, that, as I hear you shout, is easier said than done.
So what can I do?
Make sleep a priority as much as you can.
Start by looking at your sleep patterns and routines. Where are you losing sleep? Are you glued to your phone last into the night? Or are you waking at intervals during the night to pee? Just knowing what’s going on can be helpful as you can become more aware of habits that negatively impact sleep to think about making a change.
Here are my 5 top tips for better sleep…
Go to bed and get up at the same time everyday. Yep, that includes weekends, days off and holidays. I know that may sound boring but if you’re always exhausted you’re probably not that much fun to be around anyway!
Get outside in natural light as much as you can, especially in the mornings. Try to include this in your daily routine.
If you know caffeine gives you a ‘buzz’, avoid it for at least 6 hours before your bedtime. It’s not just the obvious coffee you need to avoid; watch out for sneaky sources of caffeine including tea, dark chocolate and some ice cream!
Follow the 2 hour rule – avoid nicotine, too much fluid, heavy food, alcohol, intense exercise, and using flat screen devices within the 2 hour window before bed.
Keep the bed for sleep and sex only. Leave all the other activities out of the bedroom.
In my view, sleep is essentially the single most restorative activity for mind and body health and well-being.
Make sleep a priority; you’ll be so glad you did.