A study by researchers from Harvard Medical School and the University of Sydney showed that getting extra sleep after periods of sleep deprivation can reduce the risk of premature death.
Researchers analyzed data from 85,600 participants in the UK Biobank, where participants wore sensors to track their sleep, and scientists monitored their health for eight years.
The results showed that people who suffered from regular sleep deprivation and did not compensate for it with additional sleep were more likely to die prematurely, and the risk was particularly high with severe sleep deprivation. In contrast, no increased risk of death was observed among participants who compensated for sleep deprivation.
Researchers believe that "compensatory sleep" may partially offset the negative effects of lack of sleep on the body.
Scientists stressed that the best option is to get regular sleep of between 7 and 9 hours a night, but if a person has a night in which they could not sleep well, extra sleep in the following days may help reduce the potential damage to health.
A recent study showed that sleeping less than 6.4 hours or more than 7.8 hours a night can accelerate age-related changes and increase the risk of chronic diseases.
