Sleeping longer on the weekend is a way to compensate for the lack of sleep during the week. But is sleeping in really effective and good for your health?
Definition and origin: Why do we say the expression “sleep in”?
Sleeping in means staying in bed or sleeping until late in the morning. The expression may echo the Latin word “crassus” which means “thick” and which could evoke a thicker, longer, richer sleep than usual.
This expression dates back to the 16th century and was then used to mean “sleeping in late”. Since the 20th century, the verb “to do” has replaced “to sleep” but the meaning remains the same: that of lounging in bed to rest beyond the usual hours.
Why and how to sleep in?
Sleeping in is generally done during the weekend to recover from the more demanding schedules of the week of study, work or a late party. Sleeping in, which consists of sleeping longer the next day, is supposed to make up for the lack of sleep due to this event. So, a person who went to bed at 3 a.m. instead of the usual 11 p.m., for example, can hope to recover these missing four hours of sleep by sleeping four more hours the next day. If she usually gets up at 7 a.m., she can only get up at 11 a.m. during her lie-in.
Sleeping in: Does sleeping for several hours on Sunday morning have any benefits for sleep?
Each individual has their own needs when it comes to sleep. Some people need a lot of sleep, others less. But Caroline Rome, sophrologist specializing in sleep and vigilance, attached to the sleep center at the Hôtel Dieu in Paris and author of “Awakening your sleep” (ed. Soteca), assures us: “The more regular you sleep, the better. We are programmed with very precise circadian rhythms. Getting up an hour later on the weekend is fine, but getting into the habit of sleeping in risks further accentuating the imbalance.“. After a lie-in, the person may indeed experience difficulty falling asleep in the evening, have insomnia, wake up at night, etc.
Is it good for your health to sleep in?
In a study published in 2017 in the journal Sleep, researchers from the University of Arizona in the United States demonstrated that sleeping in was not akin to restful sleep but rather to a jet lag similar to that felt during of a long plane trip. The study revealed that for every hour of social time difference, there was an 11% increase in the risk of cardiovascular disease, as well as increased sleepiness and fatigue, and poorer mood. Another study, led by Christopher Depner of the University of Colorado and published in the journal Current Biology, showed that sleeping as much as you want on weekends increased insulin resistance, i.e. say the body's ability to metabolize sugars, which would promote the appearance of diabetes. This would be due to the shift experienced by the biological clock which would not be exposed to morning light and would not be able to synchronize. The studies do not all agree since the NHANES 2017-2018 survey concluded that sleeping at least two hours more on weekends was strongly associated with a reduction in the prevalence of cardiovascular diseases among people whose sleep was less than 6 hours per night on weekdays. It is therefore difficult to draw conclusions from these contradictory studies. But some facts are confirmed. “During sleep, the body cleanses itself, eliminates toxins, recovers intellectually, nervously… The brain has a lot of things to do during this rest time and when it lacks sleep, it has difficulty recovering. After a while, our habits like staying up late take over our real needs. However, on average, although needs vary from one individual to another, an adult needs between 6 and 9 hours of sleep. Knowing that 6 hours is rare… “, explains Caroline Rome.
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How to recover without sleeping in?
If sleeping in is occasional and does not become a habit to make up for the lack of sleep during the week, this does not pose a particular problem. Likewise, if the person does not experience insomnia or sleep problems, sleeping in can be practiced occasionally. On the other hand, if it delays bedtime or affects the quality of sleep, it is preferable not to sleep in, to get up no later than 10 a.m. even if it means taking a micro nap, less than 30 minutes, the afternoon. Caroline Rome reminds us that it is important on a daily basis to respect your physiological needs and not to miss the elements which will stimulate your biological or circadian clock, the one which helps to determine the difference between day and night and therefore to sleep better: regular bedtime and rising time, exposure to daylight, eating breakfast, outdoor activity, etc.
