Feeling cranky is far from the only problem caused by a lack of sleep. In fact, many health issues can stem from sleep deprivation, ranging from heart disease to mental health disorders. And if you routinely have trouble sleeping, you could go into sleep debt, where your body doesn’t get the quality sleep it needs.

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What is sleep debt?

When you don’t get as much sleep as you need, you can go into “sleep debt” – also known as sleep deficit. For example, if you need eight hours of sleep but only get five on a particular night, you would have a sleep debt of three hours. Sleep debt can accumulate, so if you got six hours of sleep the next night, you’d have a sleep debt of five hours over two days. 

Sleep debt can harm your health, negatively impacting your mood and putting you at a higher risk for chronic illness.

Lifestyle factors that lead to sleep debt

From stress to an irregular sleep schedule, there are many possible reasons you might not get enough shut-eye – which could lead to sleep debt.

Stress and anxiety

Whether you’re worried about your job, family or health, feeling stressed or anxious can make it harder to fall or stay asleep and put you into sleep debt. And to make matters worse, not sleeping enough can increase your stress and anxiety levels in your daily life.

Read more: 5 Ways to Cope When Sleep Anxiety Keeps You From Getting Quality Rest

Screen time

Many of us watch TV or scroll our phones before going to bed, but studies have shown that these habits can prevent us from falling asleep or getting good-quality sleep. If your screen time cuts into your sleep time, you can start to accumulate sleep debt.

Irregular sleep hours

If you’re a shift worker or have young children, you might find it difficult to follow a consistent sleep schedule. As a result, you could lose out on valuable rest every night, making it easy to slip into sleep debt.

Read more: 6 Game-Changing Habits That’ll Help You Sleep Better

Health consequences of sleep debt

Sleep deprivation can seriously impact your health – beyond just making you tired during the day. These are some of the most common consequences of sleep debt.

Increased risk of chronic disease

When you regularly miss out on sleep, you have a higher risk of developing certain diseases, including: 

• Type 2 diabetes
• High blood pressure
• Heart disease
• Obesity
• Depression

Impaired cognitive function and memory

Being in sleep debt can majorly influence your brain function, negatively impacting your concentration and focus. As a result, you may have trouble paying attention to work or school, which can affect your decision-making skills and your performance.

Similarly, a lack of sleep can make it harder to remember what you’ve learned. It can also impair your ability to consolidate memories, which helps you recall them later on.

Negative impact on mood and mental health

There’s a close connection between sleep and mood. If you’ve ever had a poor night’s sleep, you may have noticed that you’re more angry, irritable, or impatient the following day. 

Not getting enough sleep can also have longer-term implications for your mental health. In one study, for example, researchers found that people who slept six hours or less were more than twice as likely to experience “frequent mental distress.”

How to recover from sleep debt

For most people, it’s nearly impossible to get the correct amount of sleep every night. If you’ve accumulated sleep debt, there are a few strategies that can help you recover.

Go to sleep earlier

When you’re consistently sleep deprived, you’ll need to make long-term changes to get out of sleep debt. A great way to start is by going to sleep earlier each night – even if it’s just by 15 minutes or so.

Take a nap

After a sleepless night, taking a quick power nap could help you feel a bit more rejuvenated – but keep in mind that it isn’t an instant cure for sleep deprivation. Here’s how to get the most out of your midday nap:

• Limit it to 20 minutes
• Take it in the early afternoon
• After you wake up, get out of bed, soak up some natural daylight, and do something energizing (like wash your face or listen to music)

Try a sleep supplement or remedy

These days, there are all kinds of sleep aids and supplements to help you fall and stay asleep. You’re probably already familiar with melatonin, but if you don’t like the groggy feeling that often accompanies it, there are other natural sleep aids – like GABA – to consider. Other natural remedies include herbal tea, CBD, and lavender oil.

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Create a bedtime routine

Following a calming bedtime routine is another way to ease yourself into sleep – especially if anxiety is keeping you up at night. You can tweak this example routine to fit your lifestyle, but some things to accomplish before going to sleep include creating tomorrow’s to-do list and reducing your screen time in bed.

Speak with your doctor

If you have chronic sleep issues, a medical problem could be to blame. In that case, it’s a good idea to book an appointment with your doctor to share your symptoms and discuss treatment options.

Tips to get quality sleep

Whether your sleep struggles are occasional or ongoing, these tips can help you achieve better, more restful sleep.

Read more: Can Sleep Banking Help You Catch Up On Rest? What to Know

Be consistent

By staying consistent with your bedtime and wake-up time, you’ll keep your circadian rhythm on track. In turn, this regulates your internal clock and helps you get higher-quality sleep.

Keep a sleep journal

You can also track your sleep habits – including roughly how long it takes you to fall asleep and how often you wake up each night – in a journal. Then, you can bring these records to your doctor to discuss potential problems and solutions.

Create a relaxing environment

Before bedtime, make sure your bedroom is cool and dark. You might also turn on relaxing music or white noise to help you ease into sleep.

Read more: Create the Perfect Sleep Environment in 7 Easy Steps

Exercise frequently

Working out can decrease your stress levels, which may make it easier to fall asleep. It might also help regulate your circadian rhythm, so you can get more consistent and quality sleep.

Avoid caffeine and alcohol before sleep

Both caffeine and alcohol can negatively impact your sleep quality, although for different reasons. For one, caffeine’s energizing effect can last for hours – even after your last cup. On the other hand, drinking alcohol can lead to uncomfortable side effects (like heartburn and acid reflux) and cause you to get less-restful sleep.