My daughter has sleep apnea, and I'm a chronic insomniac with a very long history of sleep deprivation. It's amazing what a difference a good night's sleep - for me, longer than 4 hours - can make!
The early bird might get the worm, but according to a recent study in the journal Science, the late bird is the one that actually gets to eat it. Women's Health, April 28, 2009
It's my own fault - I just won't go to bed. Every night, when he's home, my DH reminds me that I need to get to bed as he turns out the lights and heads upstairs. I mumble that I'll be up soon, then continue playing my computer game or trying to solve some issue I'm working on. I've been known to stay up for a couple of days straight to work on something until I get it solved or finished.
Then, Mother Nature drops a hammer on me and my exhausted body will sleep 7 hours. I tried to change up my routine and get to bed before midnight. But, I'm one of those people who thinks I need a 48-hour day to get everything done that I think needs to be.
Our brain, as well as our body, appreciates rest - and restful sleep. I do notice how well I can get through a day, troubleshoot problems and be more creative after a better night's sleep. My daughter even remarked today how much better she feels when she has slept through the night. Princess Grace (Kelly) of Monaco said she got 9 hours of sleep every night (I'd love the luxury of time!).
There's no such thing as "catching up" on sleep, because you can't actually lose it any more than you can actually lose time. Read about 10 Sleep Myths Busted and see if you're boosting or busting your brain power by how much you sleep!