They might not have slept on time or enough on many days during the week, but many youngsters keep the weekend aside to catch up on those lost hours of sleep, aka sleep debt. They wake up late, take naps between meals and sometimes, even skip meals to extend their sleep. However, how healthy is it? Kochi-based consultant clinical nutritionist Mumtaz Khalid Ismail explains:

Setting the circadian rhythm
The three components of a healthy lifestyle are physical activity, proper diet and sleep pattern. Dr Mumtaz says that regardless of whether one is a day worker or night worker, it is important to get 6 to 7 hours of continuous sleep to set your body clock aka circadian rhythm (An internal process in the body that regulates the wake-sleep cycle. It repeats every 24 hours.) She says, "If you are a night worker, you should sleep during the morning hours continuously, in a dark room without lights, avoiding disturbances like calling bell, to recreate a night-sleep atmosphere. And this should be done every day." The doctor says that or else, one won't be able to give their full during the five days of the week. 

Weekend is not for sleep alone
One might think that we can catch up on our sleep debt over the weekend, but that won't help to start another fresh week with a well-rested mind and brain, the doctor says. "It is important to understand that interacting with your friends and family, engaging in fun activities and ensuring relaxation of the kind is also essential during the weekend for a healthy life. Sleeping it away won't help to either compensate for sleep deprivation over the week or keep health issues away," says Dr Mumtaz. 

Why is daily, undisturbed sleep important?
Ensuring a healthy circadian rhythm will improve mental health, sleep quality and general well-being. According to the doctor, if we don't sleep enough daily, it will eventually disrupt appetite, and weight, result in chronic health conditions and lead to hypertension, heart disease, obesity, diabetes and more. "Therefore, find those 7 hours in your 24 hours and ensure uninterrupted sleep, for holistic health," the doctor signs off. 

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