photo of how many hours of sleep

Photo: Thinkstock

7 of 7

NEXT

SLIDESHOW

It'll Be Bankable
We've all heard that a weekend of "catch-up" sleep can't compensate for getting six hours or less all week. (The bounce-back actually takes a week or two of extended sleep.) The good news (for those who can plan ahead) is that if we get the extended sleep up front—10 hours a night, every night—it'll protect us from subsequent short sleep. The Walter Reed Army Institute of Research found that a week's investment (early to bed, late to rise) before a week of sleep deprivation adds up to longer-lasting alertness and a speedier recovery period.

Next: What the sleep experts do to get a good night's rest