
Catching Up on Sleep: The Smart, Moderate Approach
A little extra sleep on weekends can reverse some harm from a poor night, but large shifts in bedtime or wake time can disrupt your sleep drive and circadian rhythm. The evidence points to a sweet spot of about 1–2 hours of weekend catch-up sleep, which may lower risks of depression and inflammation and, for some people, reduce dementia risk; however, chronic short sleep continues to impair vigilance and spatial orientation, so regularity matters and insomnia should be managed with caution rather than chasing long lie-ins.

