In order to catch up on sleep, we need to know how much we've lost. Sleep debt is a real thing,and it's just as likely to develop over an extended period of minor sleep deprivation as it is from one or two all-nighters. If you can, take note of how much you sleep per night for two weeks, as that should paint a fairly accurate portrait of your sleep debt, and provide a basis for you to adjust your routine.;
, Eight hours is the optimal amount of sleep for the average person, and while your actual needs may deviate slightly from the norm, it's best to be safe and aim for eight hours or more., On average, Americans sleep 6.8 hours per night during the week, and 7.4 hours per night on the weekends, which averages out to 6.9 hours total per night.That means in one week, a typical American adult accumulates 7.7 hours of sleep debt. How much do you accumulate?

, It's common that people deprive themselves of sleep during the week, and then try to make it up on the weekends. But is that enough? If you sleep 6 hours per night Sunday-Thursday, then "catch up" on the weekends by sleeping 11 hours per night, you're still coming up 4 hours short every week—that's 200+ hours of sleep debt every year.
 In a perfect world, we would simply allocate an extra hour or two every day for sleep, but that's not always possible. However, you might be able to find time sporadically. If your schedule requires that you sleep 6 hours Monday, Wednesday, Friday, try to sleep 8 hours on Tuesdays and Thursdays. It might not seem like much, but those few extra hours will supplement your elongated weekend sleeps, and greatly reduce your debt.
 Generally speaking, if you're napping for over an hour, you're better off not napping at all.There are exceptions to this—e.g. shift-workers who simply have no other option. But if you're planning on sleeping that night, daytime naps are counterproductive. In the typical nap, you spend very little time, if any, in a state of REM sleep.REM sleep is the most regenerative and refreshing type of sleep, and without it your nap does nothing to work off your sleep debt, not to mention that it will make it more difficult to fall asleep for the night.
 Sleep hygiene is a way of measuring the quality of your sleep. Just like personal hygiene, you can improve it by tweaking your daily habits. While most of the behaviors pertinent to sleep hygiene are things we do right before bed, the process begins as soon as we wake up in the morning. All of the following steps contribute to achieving the most hygienic sleep possible. , While some people believe alcohol helps them sleep, the truth is just the opposite. Alcohol negatively affects sleep quality in two ways:It reduces the quantity of REM sleep for the first several hours of sleep, which causes a massive decrease in sleep quality.
When it wears off, 4-6 hours after sleep begins, it creates a stimulating effect in the sleeper, which can make him or her wake up and have trouble falling back asleep.
 Most people know not to drink coffee before going to sleep, but it's important to avoid caffeine in any form. Other caffeinated substances to avoid before bed include:Chocolate
Non-Cola Sodas
Weight Loss Pills
Pain Relievers
Decaf Coffee

, Spicy foods, in particular, are problematic before bed. But it's not a good idea to eat any large meal before going to sleep. The digestive process can upset your body's natural sleep sequences, and reduce the quality of your sleep., For the most part, exercise actually improves your quality of sleep. However, exercise before bad can have a stimulating effect, and limit your ability to fall asleep. It should be noted, though, that some experts believe calmer forms of exercise, like yoga, improve sleep hygiene, regardless of when the exercise is performed., Ideally, we subconsciously associate our beds with sleep, and our bodies begin to ready themselves for sleep as soon we get into bed. These associations can be disrupted if you fall into the habit of reading, working, or watching TV in bed, and you may have a harder time falling asleep at night., Television is the most common mental stimulant in which people engage before trying to fall asleep, but it's not the only one. While some experts suggest reading before bed, others argue that it can have the same stimulating effects as television or work.
 The idea is to get your body used to certain sleeping conditions, so that your body will naturally ready itself for sleep when exposed to those conditions. Consider all of the following:


Use your favorite bedding.
Adjust the room to your preferred temperature, and sleep that way every night.
Black out as much noise and light as possible.
Keep track of the amount you sleep.
Assume that you should be getting eight hours of sleep per night.
Calculate how much you're really sleeping per night.
Think about your strategy for catching up on sleep.
Check your weekly schedule for sleep openings.
Eliminate long naps.
Understand sleep hygiene.
Don't drink alcohol before bed.
Avoid caffeine before bed.
Avoid large meals and dietary changes before bed.
Avoid exercise immediately before bed.
Don't use your bed for anything besides sleep.
Avoid television and other mental stimulants before bed.
Establish a consistent and soothing sleeping environment.
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