The Morning After: Getting through the Day After a Night of Bad Sleep

Written By Caroline Okorie

As a sleep doctor, people often think I never have sleep problems. But since I’m human, I do have times when my sleep is substandard and I need to play catch up. For instance, not too long ago, I found myself ironically reading a research article about sleep deprivation after I myself had spent that very morning watching the sunrise from my desk. I had been sitting at my computer all night working because a deadline snuck up on me. (Anyone can relate?) So my solution was to stay up all night to finish the work. For the record, I am NOT a night owl. I don’t like staying up late. I’d much rather go to bed early and wake up early if needed, so I was out of my element in many aspects.

My head hurt, my eyes were strained and I think I had heartburn from the late night caffeine fueling my overnight work marathon. 

I still had to a day of meetings, teaching and clinical work ahead of me, so I stumbled over to my bed for a 1-2 hour nap, regretting my life decisions in that moment. 

How on earth did I make it through my busy day after barely getting any sleep? Could I ever pay back this “debt?” Did I just shorten my life?

How did I make it through the next day?

  • Naps: The Nap was KEY! The only thing that replaces sleep, is sleep, so I was sure to grab some of it whenever I could. I was able to take a 2 hour nap - sure, it increases risk of sleep inertia, but it certainly took away the headache and helped me to think more clearly. I had another brief 15 minute power nap in the afternoon.

  • Caffeine: I treated myself to a delicious latte that morning. The caffeine reduced the grogginess and helped me to focus through my busy morning. Another late morning green tea helped power me through the afternoon.

  • Sunshine: I took the time to walk around in the sunshine for a bit in the morning. Light has immediate alerting affects and it helped me to feel more alert.

  • Nutrition: The sugary treats looked especially good this morning and afternoon; however, I knew the ultimate self care would involve fueling my body with nutritious protein, healthy fats and complex cards. So despite the cravings, I avoided sugary treats that day.

  • Hydration: I set a goal to actually get enough water since dehydration can make me more fatigued. Also, that lovely caffeine keeping me alert can also exacerbate dehydration.

  • Slowing Down: I allowed myself to go slow that day. I only did what was necessary, I didn’t go the extra mile, and I sat down quietly whenever I could. Today was not the day to hustle, but to take it easy.

And when it was all said and done, I went to bed early!

Would I remain tired and worn out forever? (How long will it take to recover from my sleep debt?)

I considered what the science says about this. Ultimately, it mainly depends on how long I have been accumulating sleep debt. A few years ago, I prioritized nearly everything else other than my sleep. Meaning I was getting 5-6 hours of sleep a night for months. I had chronic sleep debt and it was much harder to recover. Thankfully, more recently, I do what I can to get the 7.5 hours my body and mind prefer, so this recent incident was more of an acute sleep debt problem.

Chronic? Acute? Sleep Debt? Let’s take a step back - sleep debt refers to the cumulative effect of not getting sufficient sleep - which leads to various side effects . Many try to “pay back” this debt with recovery sleep (sleeping a bit longer to make up for the deficiency). How long it takes to pay back this debt depends on if the debt is acute (short-term) or chronic (long term).

As you might imagine, acute sleep debt, as what I experienced, allows for an easier recovery. The next night, I went to bed as soon as I could and slept for about 10 hours! I woke up feeling closer to my old self. Studies have shown that when dealing with a single night of poor sleep, a consecutive night of extended sleep may restore alertness and cognitive performance back to baseline levels. However, it might take a couple of nights for some.

Chronic sleep debt is another issue altogether unfortunately. Recovery from chronic sleep debt is certainly more complex and takes longer than most of us would like. (But you already knew that) A study published by Guzzetti and Banks demonstrated that it can take several days to weeks to recover cognitive performance, mood and physical being back to baseline. Importantly, your mood, alertness and degree of sleepiness may not recover at the same rate. Typically, cognitive function may recover before you physically feel better.

Is napping or longer sleep on the weekends enough? Sadly, studies, such as with Leger et al, have shown that some may experience “incomplete recovery” from chronic sleep deprivation, even after the typical weekend sleep in. Yikes! So for some, prevention is much better than trying to recover! Insufficient sleep and poor sleep health is associated with all sorts of problems (metabolic dysfunction, high blood pressure, shorter life, poor mood). I don’t think a couple of missteps here and there will shorten my life, but I’m not interested in testing it out, so I do my best to avoid building sleep debt whenever I have the power to. 

How can I prepare if I know poor sleep is inevitable/expected?

You may wonder - can I do anything to mitigate/reduce the effects of anticipated sleep debt? Actually yes! Sleep Banking has been explored and may be effective to reduce the effects of even chronic sleep restriction. Sleep banking involves getting extended sleep time for a period of time, prior to a time of sleep restriction. For example, I am not only a sleep doctor, but a pulmonologist (lung doctor) and have weeks on call. As you can imagine, these weeks can be challenging and prone to insufficient sleep. Just prior to my call weeks, I try to get extended sleep, or at the very least, avoid insufficient sleep.

How to prevent chronic sleep deprivation:

We revisit the same ideas for health sleep discussed in other blog posts.

  • Maintain a Consistent Sleep Schedule that allows for your ideal sleep hours (for adults, this is ~7-9 hours). Teens- you may need 8-10 hours.

  • Monitor Sleep Patterns: Be aware of sleep habits and make adjustments

Remember recovery from acute sleep debt can be relatively quick, chronic sleep debt requires a more extended and deliberate recovery process, and sadly, the recovery might be incomplete due to a whole host of factors.

Consider the ideas to get through if you find yourself the morning after a rough night of sleep.

Of course, seeking help from a medical professional is always recommended, especially if you’re struggling with chronic sleep debt!

Sleep Well!  Be Well!

Caroline Okorie, MD, MPH

Want to explore the science further?

Caroline Okorie
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