Sleep debt is the accumulation of lost sleep hours relative to individual needs. Unlike financial debt, it is not easily "repaid" by sleeping more on weekends; partial recovery requires days. Chronic debt affects cognition, mood, metabolism, and the immune system in ways that the sleep-deprived brain itself underestimates.
Concept origin
Dement (1997) popularized the concept in his book "The Promise of Sleep". Van Dongen et al. (2003) documented in SLEEP that cumulative debt from moderate restriction (6h/night) produces cognitive deficits equivalent to 24h total deprivation, without subjects perceiving it.
Therapeutic approach
Recovery from sleep debt requires consistency over days, not a single "recovery Sunday." In clinical context, CBT-I addresses debt by recognizing accumulated homeostatic pressure as a therapeutic resource in sleep restriction.
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