When a person’s sleep schedule is disrupted, many people may try various ways of catching up on sleep; however, a clinical psychologist and MUN professor warn that “big changes always backfire.”
Dr. Sheila Garland says the human body is used to making “small adaptive changes” during the day in an attempt to achieve balance.
She explains that when someone’s balance is thrown off by a great degree, the body has trouble adapting to it, which is why sleeping in or napping can often backfire.
(Photo: MUN Gazette // Michael Ritter Photography)
Garland says those actions reduce the amount of sleep pressure a person has, which means they won’t be able to sleep correctly the next night, leaving them tired the next day.
She says trying to catch up is tricky and likens significant disruptions to changing time zones and the effect it can have. Garland suggests that people may have to “bite the bullet” and try to get back on their normal sleeping schedule or adjust it by small increments.
