The Monday Morning Struggle Is Real You sleep in until 10 a.m. on Saturday, take a long nap Sunday afternoon, and go to bed feeling rested. Monday morning rolls around — and somehow you’re still exhausted. Sound familiar? You’re not imagining it. Science has a name for what you’re experiencing, and it explains why weekend sleep isn’t enough to fix what’s happening to your body during the week. The idea that you can “catch up” on sleep over the weekend is one of the most common — and most damaging — sleep myths out there. Let’s break down exactly why this happens, what it does to your health, and — most importantly — what you can realistically do about it. What Is Sleep Debt — And Can You Really Pay It Back? Sleep debt is the cumulative shortfall between the sleep you need and the sleep you’re actually getting. If you need eight hours but only sleep six on weeknights, you’re racking up two hours of debt every single night — that’s ten hours by Friday. Here’s the harsh ...