Sleep debt: how many hours of sleep you've missed
A little less sleep each night adds up. This counts the hours you've missed since you first meant to sleep more.
Your numbers
Common answers are filled in. Change the ones you know.
Typical: 6 hours. Put in yours.
Sleep doctors say adults need 7 or more hours a night.
It only changes the order on your statement.
What waiting costs you
84 hours
About 84 hours of sleep missed
That's 1 hour a night below your aim of 7, or about 12 full nights of sleep. Sleep doctors say adults need 7 or more hours a night for good health.
Your small stepPick tonight's bedtime, 15 minutes earlier than usual, and set an alarm to remind you.
How we worked this out
- Gap: 7 hours aimed for minus 6 slept = 1 hour a night.
- 1 hour × 7 nights × 12 weeks = 84 hours.
- In full nights: 84 ÷ 7 hours = 12.
- How much it matters to you: 7 out of 10. It only changes the order on your statement.
Sources
- AASM and Sleep Research Society (2015): Adults should sleep 7 or more hours a night, on a regular basis, for good health.
How it works
Sleep doctors (the American Academy of Sleep Medicine and the Sleep Research Society) say adults need 7 or more hours a night for good health.
We take the gap between your aim and what you sleep now, then multiply by 7 nights and the weeks you've waited.
We also show it as full nights of sleep, so the number is easier to picture.
Sources
- AASM and Sleep Research Society (2015): For adults 18 to 60. Some people need more.
Questions people ask
Is 7 hours right for everyone?
It's the least most adults aged 18 to 60 need. Some people need more.
What if I can't sleep even when I try?
Talk to a doctor, especially if it's been going on for weeks.
Putting off more than one thing?
Pick up to five and get your Delay Statement: what to do first, what can wait, and one small step for today.
Want a nudge to act on it?
The app turns what you're putting off into a short list for each day: your Top 3 and one small step at a time. It's free.
We show what waiting costs on your own plans. We never tell you what to buy or invest in. Rules and averages change, so check the official pages before you plan anything.