Catching up on sleep

Your weekly dose of evidence

I love a good sleep in on Saturday mornings. I don't set the alarm and try to catch up on the sleep I lost during the week. So of course I didn't want to believe the recent headlines claiming too much sleep could lead to an early death and is worse than not getting enough.

We asked Stephanie Centofanti and Siobhan Banks to unpack the study. As they explain, the researchers found people who sleep for longer than eight hours a night are more likely to have heart disease and die prematurely. But sleeping a lot isn't to blame, and is likely a side effect of other health and social problems.

So is it possible to catch up on lost sleep? We asked five experts – and they're divided. What they did agree on was that you can never catch up hour for hour, or achieve all the benefits of sleeping well throughout the week.

Fron Jackson-Webb

Senior Health + Medicine Editor/Chief of Staff

Don’t worry, it’s still OK to have that sleep in or afternoon nap. Kinga Cichewicz

Research Check: can sleeping too much lead to an early death?

Stephanie Centofanti, University of South Australia; Siobhan Banks, University of South Australia

The researchers found a link between sleeping for longer than eight hours a night and getting heart disease or dying prematurely. But they didn't show the sleep duration caused these problems.

If you try to go too long without sleep, your body will just force it upon you. Stephen Oliver/Unsplash

We asked five experts: is it possible to catch up on sleep?

Alexandra Hansen, The Conversation

If we don't get enough sleep, can we catch up later? Experts are divided.

Kids are curious about sleep

Curious Kids: Where do flies sleep?

Bryan Lessard, CSIRO

Flies need good grip because they often sleep upside down.

Curious Kids: What happens in our bodies when we sleep?

Michael Gradisar, Flinders University

The most interesting part of our body that changes during sleep is our brain.

Curious Kids: Do animals sleep like people? Do snails sleep in their shells?

John Lesku, La Trobe University; Anne Aulsebrook, University of Melbourne

Pond snails use things like rocks or the side of their aquarium as their bed, attaching themselves while they sleep. This might not seem very relaxing but their shells do hang away from their body.

Curious Kids: Why do we always fall asleep in cars?

Sarah Blunden, CQUniversity Australia

You might be trying to catch up on sleep. Sleep scientists say some children need only nine hours of sleep at night, while others need as much as 11 hours. It depends on the person.

From the archives

Naps have many benefits, including improving memory, reaction times and mood Sal/Flickr

Guilty about that afternoon nap? Don’t be. It’s good for you.

Nicole Lovato, Flinders University

The benefits of naps are similar to those experienced after consuming caffeine, but without the side effects of caffeine dependence and possibly disrupted sleep at night time.

Waking up is hard to do. Kinga Cichewicz/Flickr

Health Check: how can I make it easier to wake up in the morning?

Crystal Grant, University of South Australia; Siobhan Banks, University of South Australia

It's normal to feel a bit groggy when you wake up – parts of your brain are still asleep.

Explainer: how much sleep do we need?

Gemma Paech, University of South Australia

The amount of sleep adults need has once again come under the spotlight, with a recent Wall Street Journal article suggesting seven hours sleep is better than eight hours and the American Academy of Sleep…

Why couples sleep better in more gender-equal societies

Leah Ruppanner, University of Melbourne; David J. Maume, University of Cincinnati

While women's sleep is affected by children, men's sleep is affected by work and finance stress. Couples living in more gender equal countries have improved sleep quality.