Stretching a cemetery shift, staying all night for an exam the next morning, or holding a red-eye flight before a working meeting, these conditions often throw out our sleep cycle out of the balance. If only we had lost sleep and a way to save the bank on it! Or maybe there is a way.

Enter the concept of sleep banking, a strategy that looks like science fiction but really lies in scientific facts.

Now, some certain questions: What is really sleep banking, and a busy week or a few extra hours ahead of the day can catch sleep or really helps us to do better when sleep is rare? Today India Asked two major pulmonologists to break the details.

What is sleep banking?

The closest explanation for how it works is the idea of ​​preparing your body in advance. For example, when you are going on a trip, one of some compulsory things will include 100% charge to maintain your phone to maintain the whole day. It is exactly how you ‘Sleep Bank’.

Dr, Director of Pulmonologist at CK Birla Hospital in Delhi. Vikas Mittal describes sleep banking as an active strategy, where a person intentionally extends the duration of sleep, which occurs in the days going to a known period of sleep deficiency. “

Dr. Lancleot Mark Pinto, Advisor Pulmonologist and PD Hinduja Hospital, Mumbai has preferred it for financial planning. He says, “As the word ‘banking’ means, sleep banking is the task of saving or storing additional sleep in anticipation of lack of future sleep.”

And yes, science takes it back.

Is it really possible to sleep before sleeping low?

Still the idea is not sold and wondering how it can actually come together? Well, research has supported sleep banking, and doctors believe it is very possible to pull.

Dr. Mittal rupp et al. By pointing to a 2009 landmark study, where participants who used to sleep 10 hours a week for a week, before being limited to 3 hours, performed better on cognitive works than those who slept normal seven hours. “He maintained high vigilance and better performance,” Dr. Mittal says.

Dr. Pinto says there are two ways about it. “Either extend the night’s sleep for a few hours, or take a strategic nap during the day. If you are used for a certain sleep schedule, but adaptation of sleep hygiene, such as blackout curtains, cooler room temperature and screen time, can help.”

You can try, but….

Now we know that sleep banking actually helps in those days when you have to draw an all-nater for whatever reason, but can the dependence have a negative effect?

Both doctors agree that the sleep banking works best as a short -term support system, especially for people with unexpected sleeping programs. However, it comes with a warning. Over-Reliance can mess up with your body clock. “Excessive sleep can disrupt banking circadian rhythm,” Dr. Pinto says. “It makes a new schedule hard and irony is that it can give rise to more sleep issues.”

And if the dependence lasts long, long lasts, you may end with cognitive issues. Dr. Mittal has warned against using it as a long -term solution, and says, “This is not a fixed for the lack of chronic sleep. If you skimp on the thinking of regular sleep then you can later ‘catch’, you can still face cognitive and health risks.”

So, what is the right way to do this?

If you know that you have a difficult week or to close a week-long cemetery shift, then there is a special-supported sleep banking strategy:

• Start quickly: Target for one to two additional hours of sleep per night for 3-7 days.
• Nap wisely: Small, timed naps (20–30 minutes) can also help create reserves.
• Prioritize sleep hygiene: Keep the room dark, calm and calm. Avoid caffeine and screen before bed.
• Use it with restraint: Sleep banking works best as a just-in-case buffer, not a permanent plan.

As Dr. Pinto said, “Use it as a safety trap, not Trumpolin. Sleep banking is sometimes used best when you know that you are deprived of sleep, not for a routine of constant poor sleep.”