[BBC] From helping you to focus more to improving sports performance, some scientists believe "depositing" sleep for later use can bring a range of benefits.
It's the weekend. The perfect opportunity to switch off the alarm and spend an extra hour or so in bed. For those of us able to enjoy this luxury, sleeping in to catch up on lost rest from earlier in the week is a common tactic. But are we thinking about this the wrong way around? Might it be better to "bank" extra hours of slumber ahead of a busy period to help to counteract the effects of sleepless nights?
Sleep banking – where you snooze for longer over multiple nights ahead of a period where your sleep is likely to be restricted – could well be an effective tactic, according to some researchers. They say it helps the brain to stockpile crucial resources for later deployment, improving alertness and cognitive performance when sleep deprivation hits.
The idea is growing in popularity among wellness enthusiasts on TikTok, who extol sleep banking before long-haul travel or big work events to improve mental performance, or act as a "safety net" before a busy period. So does it really work? |