World Sleep Day is an event organised by the World Sleep Day Committee of the World Sleep Society annually. World Sleep Day is observed the Friday before the Spring Vernal Equinox of each year. In 2025, it is on March 15.

The main purpose of this day is to highlight the importance of a healthy sleep hygiene on the quality of life and how sleep deprivation can lead to serious health issues. It is basically a call to action on important issues related to sleep, including medicine, education, driving and other aspects.

On World Sleep Day 2025, we would like to turn your attention to a new terminology in the field—sleep debt.

Keep reading to know all about sleep debt—what is sleep debt, consequences of sleep debt and how to recover from sleep debut?

What is sleep debt?

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As the term indirectly suggests, sleep debt refers to sleeping for fewer hours than your body actually needs. Like a debt, the hours not completed will keep getting accumulated. It means that if you regularly get less sleep than you should, you’re going to have more sleep debt.

For example, if you get four hours of sleep when you should be getting eight, you will have a sleep debt of four hours. If you do this for the next seven days, you will wind up with a sleep debt of 28 hours.

In the same way, if you go to sleep 20 minutes or 30 minutes later than usual for a few days, that can swiftly get added to your sleep debt, even though it doesn’t seem like a lot.

To keep your sleep debt from mounting, you should fix your sleep schedule by avoiding staying up late and rising early. You should watch your late-night habits and make sure you are not missing sleep due to any reason.

7 Effects of excessive sleep debt 1. Unproductivity

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Chronic sleep deprivation directly impacts decision-making, problem-solving and reasoning skills. All these factors contribute towards poor productivity and performance in any activity in life.

So, especially if your day starts early, you cannot afford to have sleep debt as it could impact your productivity and could lead to poor time management.

2. Unhealthy cravings and weight gain

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Appetite and cravings are commanded by two hormones—ghrelin and leptin. Your body is in better control of ghrelin and leptin when it gets ample rest. If they don’t function, you may constantly feel hungry, which could lead to unhealthy cravings and weight gain.

Also, a sleep-deprived brain is more likely to make unhealthy food choices. It’s because your judgment and decision making are poor when you don’t sleep.

3. Excessive caffeine intake

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You are more likely to keep chugging down multiple cups of coffee to keep you from feeling tired and sleepy. Caffeine is merely a bandage on the wound.

You won’t truly heal unless you recover your sleep debt by cleaning up your sleep hygiene habits. Also, regular consumption of excessive caffeinemay degrade your quality of sleep.

4. Eyes look unwell

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Redness, puffiness, dark circles, and bags are all the eye-related signs that say you are not getting adequate sleep. Those who are sleep deprived are also more prone to wrinkles, lines and swelling.

5. Restlessness in the morning

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If you sleep at 2 am and wake up at 6 am, you are certainly going to have a tired and sluggish morning. Feeling restless in the morning is one of the signs you are not sleeping enough and mounting sleep debt. The only way to feel rested in the morning is to fix your sleep schedule.

6. Irritability and mood swings

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Many research studies say that chronic sleep deprivation is one of the causes behind feeling stressed, irritated and moody all the time. These health effects can impact your daily life significantly. It could hamper your performance at work as well as social and personal relationships.

7. Lifestyle disorders

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There is adequate evidence that suggests that sleep deprivation indirectly leads to many lifestyle disorders like type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, obesity, obstructive sleep apnea, stroke, heart disease. So if you want to adopt a healthier lifestyle to keep diseases at bay, start with your sleep routine.

How to control sleep debt

The only way to have zero sleep debt is to learn how much sleep your body needs and prioritise getting at least eight hours of sleep every night.

It may seem like sacrificing a little sleep to study or work a few more hours helps you get more done, but getting adequate sleep boosts cognitive performance in the long run and allows you to be more efficient during the day.

There are many ways to improve your sleep hygiene and reduce the chances of accumulating sleep debt.

1. Improve your bedroom environment

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Optimising your bedroom environmentcan help you achieve restful sleep. You can do that by keeping the temperature comfortable, blocking out any lights or noises that might keep you awake, and consider replacing your mattress, pillow, or duvets if they are old or uncomfortable.

2. Keep a set sleep schedule

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Maintaining a fixed sleep schedule allows you to prioritise sleep in your lifestyle and ensure you are getting enough rest each night. If you need to change your sleep schedule, do it gradually by adjusting it in increments of 15 to 30 minutes.

3. Create a night-time routine

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Having a nightly routine allows your body to wind down, relax and prepare for a good night’s sleep. You can do that by setting an alarm for 30 minutes to an hour before bedtime to remind you to dim the lights, turn off electronic devices, and find a relaxing activity that does not involve screens.

4. Quit sleep-negative habits

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If you are chronically sleep deprived, monitor any daytime activities that are contributing to your lack of sleep. Make sure you are getting enough sunlight and exercise during the day. Also ensure you are not drinking caffeine too close to bedtime. Limiting screen time prior to sleeping may also help reduce sleep debt.

5. Avoid long naps during the day

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A power nap of 10-15 minutes can re-energise you but dozing off for two hours straight in the middle of the day will ruin your night’s sleep. Fix your sleep schedule by avoiding long day-time naps.

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