Is it OK to sleep 11 hours on weekends and 5-6 on weekdays?
- Daemon

Our bodies (and minds) need a certain amount of sleep each night to function at their best. Although you might feel great on Monday after a weekend sleepfest, all that shuteye won't help your performance the rest of the week.

Here's why:

Our bodies can only catch up on sleep. They can't store extra sleep to help us function in the days ahead. If you sleep a lot over the weekend but go back to skimping on Monday night, your body won't be at its best on Tuesday. You may not notice you're tired, but you won't be operating at your peak — and if you continue this pattern all week, your body will be seriously dragging by Friday.

How will this affect you? Sleep fuels our daily activities, whether it's doing well on tests, competing in sports, mastering skateboard tricks, concentrating while driving, or improving video game skills. That's why experts recommend that teens get 8½ to more than 9 hours of sleep a night.

Reviewed by: Mary L. Gavin, MD
Date reviewed: October 2011

*Names have been changed to protect user privacy.