April 25, 2019&mdash;If you're like many Americans who don't get enough sleep during the week, you may try to catch up on your shut-eye during the weekend. But a new study shows that this habit doesn't help&mdash;and it may even hurt your health. 
The truth about sleep deficits
Adults need at least seven hours of sleep a night, but about a third of them regularly get less. People sometimes try to make up for not getting enough shut-eye by sleeping in on their days off work. 
Researchers wanted to find out if this strategy helped reduce the health risks of being sleep-deprived during the week. Over time, a lack of adequate sleep can disrupt metabolism, which raises the risk for gaining weight and developing diabetes.
The new study, published in <a target="_blank" href="https://www.cell.com/current-biology/home">Current Biology</a>, looked at the eating patterns, weight gain and changes in insulin sensitivity of three groups of healthy adults. One group got normal sleep; one was sleep-deprived (only up to five hours of sleep a night); and the third group was sleep-deprived, but could sleep in for two days of the study.
The results: 
<ul>
 <li>Compared with those who slept normally, the sleep-deprived adults snacked more after dinner and gained an average of about 3 pounds during the study. They also experienced a 13% drop in insulin sensitivity&mdash;a risk factor for type 2 diabetes. </li>
 <li>Those who were sleep-deprived but got to "make up" their sleep had no advantage over those who had continuous sleep deprivation. They also gained an average of 3 pounds during the study and had a 27% decrease in insulin sensitivity.</li>
</ul>
According to the researchers, the take-home message from the study is that weekend recovery, or catch-up sleep, doesn't appear to help counteract the health risks of not getting enough sleep during the week.
Could you benefit from a sleep study?
If you're having trouble getting enough sleep and you often feel tired during the day, you may be a good candidate for a sleep study. Take our <a href="[BASEDOMAIN]/healthinfo/Story.aspx?StoryID=34e2a588-4eac-4a68-b096-4df0f7f4f1d5">sleep assessment test</a> and share the results with your doctor.

Weekend 'catch-up' sleep may hurt more than help

It sounds like a good idea, but it doesn't work.