3 Sleep Facts You May Not Have Known

Sleep is crucial for our overall health, helping to support brain function, emotional regulation, a healthy immune system and more. Here are three tips to help you get the most from your sleep.

Don’t rely on “catch-up” sleep: When you fall short of the amount of sleep your body needs, you accrue sleep debt. And tacking on several hours one night or over a weekend will not make up for it. Sleeping in may make you feel better temporarily, but altering your sleep and wake times significantly can lead to increased fatigue, Kimberly Fenn, a professor of cognition and cognitive neuroscience at Michigan State University, told The Washington Post. Instead, keep a consistent sleep schedule and, if you’ve lost some sleep, try waking up an hour or so later in the morning or take a 20-minute power nap in the afternoon.

Read the whole story (subscription may be required): The Washington Post