Plan weekend sleep to reset a schedule.
Sleeping much longer at weekends recovers some debt but also drags your body clock later, which is what makes Monday morning hard. Half the weekday-to-weekend difference approximates the shift in mid-sleep time — the standard way social jetlag is measured. Capping the weekend lie-in to about an hour beyond your weekday sleep recovers most of the benefit while keeping the clock stable.
Weekend catch-up and jetlag
Catch-up = (weekend sleep - weekday sleep) x weekend nights; social jetlag = (weekend sleep - weekday sleep) / 2; weekly shortfall = need x 7 - actual weekly sleep
These figures are estimates based on population-average formulas and are intended for training and recreational planning only. They are not medical advice. Consult a qualified health professional before starting or changing an exercise programme, particularly if you have an existing medical condition.
A modest lie-in is helpful. Sleeping two or more hours later shifts your circadian clock, which costs you on the first work night — the effect the jetlag figure captures.
About an hour beyond your weekday duration is the usual compromise: it recovers debt without meaningfully delaying your clock.
A short afternoon nap recovers alertness with much less circadian disruption than a long lie-in, which makes it the better tool when you also want an early Monday.