The key facts
- Professor at ROSBIOTECH University Alexey Bereznikov believes that it is impossible to 'catch up on sleep in advance' on weekends, just as it is impossible to breathe enough in advance
- Eight hours of sleep are named as the physiological norm; the deep phase is responsible for physical recovery, the rapid phase for processing emotions and memory
- Earlier, a somnologist considered up to 21 brief awakenings per hour normal for a healthy young person
You can't catch up on sleep in advance
Long sleep on weekends does not compensate for the sleep deficit accumulated over the workweek: attempts to 'catch up on sleep in advance' create only an illusion of recovery. This claim was made in a comment to Life.ru by Alexey Bereznikov, professor at the Department of Therapy at ROSBIOTECH University. He compared the situation to breathing: just as it is impossible to breathe enough for several days ahead in one go, it is also impossible to get a whole week's worth of sleep in one go.
What happens during sleep
According to Bereznikov, eight hours of sleep is the physiological norm needed for recovery. During the night, the brain goes through cycles of slow (NREM) and rapid (REM) phases several times. During the rapid phase, a person has vivid dreams; the brain processes emotions and impressions, consolidates memories, skills and neural connections; after an eventful day, the REM phase may lengthen. During the slow phase, brain activity, on the contrary, is reduced to a minimum — slow high-amplitude delta waves dominate on the encephalogram. It is deep sleep, the professor explained, that is important for physical recovery: during this period, micro-damage to tissues heals, growth hormone is produced, immunity is maintained, and breathing, pulse and blood pressure decrease. Chronic sleep deprivation also affects the quality of deep sleep. If a person feels sleepy but regularly cannot fall asleep, the specialist advises seeing a doctor.
Conditions for quality sleep
Bereznikov recommended choosing a bed based on one's height and body type so that the muscles can fully relax, and ensuring darkness in the bedroom: lamps and flickering screens interfere with melatonin production — during the polar day, for example in Murmansk, blackout curtains help. Before bed, he advises avoiding horror films and emotional news, since strong feelings trigger the release of adrenaline and cortisol. As for drinks, weak or herbal tea is preferable: even decaffeinated coffee may contain a small amount of stimulants. The expert recommends excluding sweets at night due to insulin spikes, increased appetite and strain on the pancreas.
Nighttime awakenings: what is considered normal
Earlier, as Life.ru notes, another specialist — a somnologist — considered up to 21 brief awakenings per hour acceptable in a healthy young person. Such episodes last from three to 15 seconds and are usually not remembered, whereas longer awakenings can worsen daytime well-being and performance. Among the possible causes cited were caffeine, alcohol, smoking, chronic illnesses and light from gadgets; it was recommended to first eliminate these factors, and if problems persist, to seek medical help.
