
Breus suggests making that call based on exactly how much sleep you’ll be missing the night before. And, sure, if you’re really sleep-deprived, that may occasionally be a last-ditch option to pay back some of that sleep debt, but Dr.

It can be so tempting to sleep in on the weekends (or whenever you can), if you’re sleep-deprived.
#CONSISTENT WAKE UP TIME HOW TO#
How to adopt a consistent wake-up time if you’re sleep-deprived So, if you’re waking up at the same time every morning, you’ll have a better chance of dozing off easily around the same time each night-and, in turn, clocking sufficient zzz’s before that wake-up time arrives again. Breus, and then flip back on, flooding you with sleepiness. That is, no matter when you wake up, that melatonin faucet will turn off and stay off for about 14 hours from that point, says Dr.

If you’re waking up at the same time every morning, you’ll have a better chance of dozing off easily each night.īut, at the same time, this process also starts a countdown in your brain for about 14 hours, after which it’ll start producing melatonin once again. That’s what allows you to get up and start your day. “When you wake up in the morning, light hits the eye and activates the melanopsin cell, which sends a signal to the pineal gland, telling it to stop producing melatonin ,” he says. Though bedtime and wake-up time tend to go hand in hand, there’s a neurochemical reason why wake-up time has an even more profound effect on your circadian rhythm, according to clinical psychologist and sleep specialist Michael Breus, PhD, advisor for stress-wearable company Apollo Neuro. That’s why sleep doctors regularly tout the benefits of a consistent sleep-wake schedule for improving sleep quality-and, in particular, waking up at the same time every morning, even on weekends. But even just trying to wake up earlier than usual or nap at a time when you aren’t typically sleepy can show you how resistant sleep is to any change in routine. Just take the experience of jet lag, for example, which is perhaps the most extreme case of an internal metronome thrown off-kilter. Almost like clapping off tempo to a song, sleeping at off times for your circadian rhythm (aka 24-hour sleep-wake clock) can be totally jarring to your sleep schedule.
