Researchers have found that an extra one or two hours of sleep on weekends can partially offset the negative effects of sleep deprivation during the workweek; however, sleeping in for too long can disrupt the body's biological clock and exacerbate the problem at the start of the following week.

According to a BBC survey of nearly 8 thousand adults, about half of the respondents regularly sleep longer than usual on weekends—a habit most common among teenagers. Experts explain that sleep is regulated by two mechanisms: the accumulation of "fatigue" throughout the day and the daily circadian rhythm. If a person catches up on sleep in the morning, they feel sleepy later in the evening, shifting their entire sleep-wake cycle—experts compare this effect to changing time zones every week.

At the same time, a number of laboratory experiments have confirmed that recovery sleep can partially or fully neutralize the negative effects of sleep deprivation—including changes in the immune system, impaired glucose metabolism, and a decline in cognitive function. For instance, study participants who were allowed to sleep longer than usual after several nights of restricted sleep showed a return of the relevant indicators to normal levels.

A large-scale Swedish study involving over 40 thousand adults followed over 13 years showed that people under the age of 65 who slept five hours or less per night had a 65% higher risk of death compared to those who slept 6–7 hours. However, regularly "catching up on sleep" on weekends statistically eliminated this increased risk.

Similar data have been obtained for other health indicators: a Korean study found that each additional hour of sleep on weekends reduced the risk of high blood pressure by approximately 17% in people who were chronically sleep-deprived. Extra sleep is also linked to a reduced risk of dementia and metabolic syndrome.

Nevertheless, experts emphasize that such compensation does not apply to all indicators: the decline in attention and impaired spatial orientation caused by chronic sleep deprivation cannot be fully restored simply by catching up on sleep over the weekend.