Why can your body have a “sleep debt” but not a “sleep surplus”?

Question

Why does my 15 hours of sleep on the weekend not counteract the 4 hours I get on a weeknight?

In: Biology

Answer 1

You can bank sleep according to some studies. Military and shift workers who may need to work through sleep cycles can use this to improve mental and physical capabilities during extended wakefulness. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4667377/