Trying to recover lost sleep hours during the week by staying in bed longer on weekends is a common practice, especially among adolescents and people with demanding schedules. However, specialists warn that this strategy does not work as many people think.

From the scientific field, they recall that sleep is an essential biological process that the brain and body need to complete every day to function correctly. "Short sleepers, who are those who believe that five or six hours of sleep are enough, I don't agree either. Just as depriving yourself of sleep and trying to sleep nine hours on the weekend. You can sleep them, because your body and organs are tired, but you don't recover the chemical process you've lost," explains Sofia Rodríguez Moróder, from the Clínica Cráneo Salud València.

Therefore, the hours of rest not obtained during the week cannot be compensated simply by sleeping more on a Sunday. Specialists explain that the sleep cycle responds to chemical and physiological mechanisms that require regularity to maintain balance.

Some studies suggest that the body needs up to four days to recover from the effects of a single lost hour of sleep. Sustained lack of rest can affect functions such as memory, concentration, and attention. It is also associated with cardiovascular problems, blood pressure alterations, and an increased risk of obesity or diabetes.

To avoid these consequences, it is recommended to sleep at least eight hours each night and maintain regular schedules. They also advise preparing the body for rest by reducing light intensity and limiting exposure to screens and other stimuli before going to sleep. In short, the best remedy for lost sleep remains the simplest: rest well every day.