{"id":560,"date":"2026-07-23T12:51:03","date_gmt":"2026-07-23T12:51:03","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.votodds.com\/blog\/?p=560"},"modified":"2026-08-05T13:04:25","modified_gmt":"2026-08-05T13:04:25","slug":"how-to-pay-off-sleep-debt","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.votodds.com\/blog\/how-to-pay-off-sleep-debt\/","title":{"rendered":"Payback Time: How to Get Out of Sleep Debt for Good"},"content":{"rendered":"<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"alignright size-large is-resized\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.votodds.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/AdobeStock_1939872083.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"682\" src=\"https:\/\/www.votodds.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/AdobeStock_1939872083-1024x682.jpg\" alt=\"A woman with a wallet on her head\" class=\"wp-image-562\" style=\"aspect-ratio:1.501508211373031;width:296px;height:auto\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.votodds.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/AdobeStock_1939872083-1024x682.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.votodds.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/AdobeStock_1939872083-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.votodds.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/AdobeStock_1939872083-768x511.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.votodds.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/AdobeStock_1939872083.jpg 1128w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/a><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Have you ever lay in bed late at night, staring at the clock, trying to calculate how early you\u2019ll have to hit the hay tomorrow to make up for your lack of sleep tonight? Well, that lost time you\u2019re trying to schedule is known as \u201csleep debt\u201d and while most people intend to pay it back as soon as possible, for those with <a href=\"https:\/\/www.votodds.com\/sleep-apnea-therapy.html\">sleep apnea<\/a>, this achievement is often easier said than done. Here\u2019s a closer look at sleep debt, and why the easiest way to \u2018make good\u2019 on it is to never take it on in the first place!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<!--more-->\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">a<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">What is Sleep Debt?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">A sleep debt is the difference between the amount of sleep your body needs and the number of hours you actually slept. So, let\u2019s say that you require about eight hours of quality rest each night, but you only manage to get six. This means you\u2019ll have a sleep deficit or debt of two hours that you\u2019ll need to \u201cpay back\u201d to get caught up.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Payback Time<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Unfortunately, much like financial debt, sleep debt comes with fees and interest. So, while you may <em>intend<\/em> to get an extra hour or two of rest tomorrow night or over the weekend, it could still take you several days to recover, even if you only lost an hour or so to begin with! In fact, studies have shown that it can take a full nine days to eliminate your deficit completely, and worse still, if you are struggling with a sleep disorder, this debt could be nearly impossible to stop accumulating, let alone pay off!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Give it a Rest: Stopping the Sleep Debt Cycle<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">If you are struggling to get the rest you need due to a sleep disorder like sleep apnea, you likely already know the frustration of never being able to get caught up on your rest. The good news is that your dentist offers treatment options that can help. Oral appliance therapy uses a comfortable, discreet device to position your airway open manually, so you can breathe comfortably while sleeping <em>without<\/em> the use of CPAP. &nbsp;With time, you should even be able to pay back that ballooning sleep debt and enjoy all the benefits of a well-rested body and mind!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Remember, while it\u2019s nice to be able to finance things that you can\u2019t pay for upfront, rest is not one of them.&nbsp; In fact, these deficits not only charge interest, but if you have sleep apnea, it can be nearly impossible to stop accruing. So, settle your balance with your body and speak to your dentist today about sleep apnea therapy &#8211; it may be the most important debt you\u2019ll ever pay off!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">About Dr. Voto<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.votodds.com\/meet-the-dentist.html\">Dr. Jayson Voto<\/a> earned his undergraduate degree (in zoology!) at the University of Oklahoma, and his dental doctorate at the University of Oklahoma College of Dentistry. He is a proud member of the American Dental Association, the American Orthodontic Society, and the Oklahoma Dental Society, and regularly expands his knowledge through the Oil Capital Study club and the Spear Study Club. He\u2019s pleased to help his patients get the rest they deserve with oral appliance therapy for sleep apnea. If you\u2019re tired of being tired and ready to get the rest you deserve, schedule a consultation for sleep apnea therapy today by visiting <a href=\"https:\/\/www.votodds.com\/contact-us.html\">our website<\/a> or calling 918-272-5381.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Have you ever lay in bed late at night, staring at the clock, trying to calculate how early you\u2019ll have to hit the hay tomorrow to make up for your lack of sleep tonight? Well, that lost time you\u2019re trying to schedule is known as \u201csleep debt\u201d and while most people intend to pay it [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-560","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v28.2 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Payback Time: How to Get Out of Sleep Debt for Good | Dr. Jayson Voto<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Being chronically tired can be a lot like being in debt. Here\u2019s why sleep debt can cost way more than you think, and how to finally pay it back.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.votodds.com\/blog\/how-to-pay-off-sleep-debt\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Payback Time: How to Get Out of Sleep Debt for Good | Dr. Jayson Voto\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Being chronically tired can be a lot like being in debt. Here\u2019s why sleep debt can cost way more than you think, and how to finally pay it back.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.votodds.com\/blog\/how-to-pay-off-sleep-debt\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Jason D Voto, DDS Family and Cosmetic Family Dentistry\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2026-07-23T12:51:03+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2026-08-05T13:04:25+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/www.votodds.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/AdobeStock_1939872083.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"1128\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"751\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"drakevotodds\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"drakevotodds\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"3 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\\\/\\\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.votodds.com\\\/blog\\\/how-to-pay-off-sleep-debt\\\/#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.votodds.com\\\/blog\\\/how-to-pay-off-sleep-debt\\\/\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"drakevotodds\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.votodds.com\\\/blog\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/da0ca501ef0625fe545378428e69b01f\"},\"headline\":\"Payback Time: How to Get Out of Sleep Debt for Good\",\"datePublished\":\"2026-07-23T12:51:03+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2026-08-05T13:04:25+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.votodds.com\\\/blog\\\/how-to-pay-off-sleep-debt\\\/\"},\"wordCount\":584,\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.votodds.com\\\/blog\\\/how-to-pay-off-sleep-debt\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.votodds.com\\\/blog\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2026\\\/08\\\/AdobeStock_1939872083-1024x682.jpg\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.votodds.com\\\/blog\\\/how-to-pay-off-sleep-debt\\\/\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.votodds.com\\\/blog\\\/how-to-pay-off-sleep-debt\\\/\",\"name\":\"Payback Time: How to Get Out of Sleep Debt for Good | Dr. Jayson Voto\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.votodds.com\\\/blog\\\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.votodds.com\\\/blog\\\/how-to-pay-off-sleep-debt\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.votodds.com\\\/blog\\\/how-to-pay-off-sleep-debt\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.votodds.com\\\/blog\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2026\\\/08\\\/AdobeStock_1939872083-1024x682.jpg\",\"datePublished\":\"2026-07-23T12:51:03+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2026-08-05T13:04:25+00:00\",\"author\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.votodds.com\\\/blog\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/da0ca501ef0625fe545378428e69b01f\"},\"description\":\"Being chronically tired can be a lot like being in debt. Here\u2019s why sleep debt can cost way more than you think, and how to finally pay it back.\",\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.votodds.com\\\/blog\\\/how-to-pay-off-sleep-debt\\\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/www.votodds.com\\\/blog\\\/how-to-pay-off-sleep-debt\\\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.votodds.com\\\/blog\\\/how-to-pay-off-sleep-debt\\\/#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.votodds.com\\\/blog\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2026\\\/08\\\/AdobeStock_1939872083.jpg\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.votodds.com\\\/blog\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2026\\\/08\\\/AdobeStock_1939872083.jpg\",\"width\":1128,\"height\":751},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.votodds.com\\\/blog\\\/how-to-pay-off-sleep-debt\\\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.votodds.com\\\/blog\\\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"Payback Time: How to Get Out of Sleep Debt for Good\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.votodds.com\\\/blog\\\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.votodds.com\\\/blog\\\/\",\"name\":\"Jason D Voto, DDS Family and Cosmetic Family Dentistry\",\"description\":\"\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.votodds.com\\\/blog\\\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":{\"@type\":\"PropertyValueSpecification\",\"valueRequired\":true,\"valueName\":\"search_term_string\"}}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.votodds.com\\\/blog\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/da0ca501ef0625fe545378428e69b01f\",\"name\":\"drakevotodds\",\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/9c7807c828f30b45e92b8c2fb447f188254cb8653d307e5cb01e6c3dbf026146?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/9c7807c828f30b45e92b8c2fb447f188254cb8653d307e5cb01e6c3dbf026146?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/9c7807c828f30b45e92b8c2fb447f188254cb8653d307e5cb01e6c3dbf026146?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"caption\":\"drakevotodds\"},\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.votodds.com\\\/blog\\\/author\\\/drakevotodds\\\/\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"Payback Time: How to Get Out of Sleep Debt for Good | Dr. Jayson Voto","description":"Being chronically tired can be a lot like being in debt. Here\u2019s why sleep debt can cost way more than you think, and how to finally pay it back.","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/www.votodds.com\/blog\/how-to-pay-off-sleep-debt\/","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"Payback Time: How to Get Out of Sleep Debt for Good | Dr. Jayson Voto","og_description":"Being chronically tired can be a lot like being in debt. Here\u2019s why sleep debt can cost way more than you think, and how to finally pay it back.","og_url":"https:\/\/www.votodds.com\/blog\/how-to-pay-off-sleep-debt\/","og_site_name":"Jason D Voto, DDS Family and Cosmetic Family Dentistry","article_published_time":"2026-07-23T12:51:03+00:00","article_modified_time":"2026-08-05T13:04:25+00:00","og_image":[{"width":1128,"height":751,"url":"https:\/\/www.votodds.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/AdobeStock_1939872083.jpg","type":"image\/jpeg"}],"author":"drakevotodds","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"drakevotodds","Est. reading time":"3 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"Article","@id":"https:\/\/www.votodds.com\/blog\/how-to-pay-off-sleep-debt\/#article","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.votodds.com\/blog\/how-to-pay-off-sleep-debt\/"},"author":{"name":"drakevotodds","@id":"https:\/\/www.votodds.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/da0ca501ef0625fe545378428e69b01f"},"headline":"Payback Time: How to Get Out of Sleep Debt for Good","datePublished":"2026-07-23T12:51:03+00:00","dateModified":"2026-08-05T13:04:25+00:00","mainEntityOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.votodds.com\/blog\/how-to-pay-off-sleep-debt\/"},"wordCount":584,"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.votodds.com\/blog\/how-to-pay-off-sleep-debt\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/www.votodds.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/AdobeStock_1939872083-1024x682.jpg","inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/www.votodds.com\/blog\/how-to-pay-off-sleep-debt\/","url":"https:\/\/www.votodds.com\/blog\/how-to-pay-off-sleep-debt\/","name":"Payback Time: How to Get Out of Sleep Debt for Good | Dr. Jayson Voto","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.votodds.com\/blog\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.votodds.com\/blog\/how-to-pay-off-sleep-debt\/#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.votodds.com\/blog\/how-to-pay-off-sleep-debt\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/www.votodds.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/AdobeStock_1939872083-1024x682.jpg","datePublished":"2026-07-23T12:51:03+00:00","dateModified":"2026-08-05T13:04:25+00:00","author":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.votodds.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/da0ca501ef0625fe545378428e69b01f"},"description":"Being chronically tired can be a lot like being in debt. Here\u2019s why sleep debt can cost way more than you think, and how to finally pay it back.","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.votodds.com\/blog\/how-to-pay-off-sleep-debt\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/www.votodds.com\/blog\/how-to-pay-off-sleep-debt\/"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/www.votodds.com\/blog\/how-to-pay-off-sleep-debt\/#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/www.votodds.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/AdobeStock_1939872083.jpg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/www.votodds.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/AdobeStock_1939872083.jpg","width":1128,"height":751},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/www.votodds.com\/blog\/how-to-pay-off-sleep-debt\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/www.votodds.com\/blog\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"Payback Time: How to Get Out of Sleep Debt for Good"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/www.votodds.com\/blog\/#website","url":"https:\/\/www.votodds.com\/blog\/","name":"Jason D Voto, DDS Family and Cosmetic Family Dentistry","description":"","potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/www.votodds.com\/blog\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/www.votodds.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/da0ca501ef0625fe545378428e69b01f","name":"drakevotodds","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/9c7807c828f30b45e92b8c2fb447f188254cb8653d307e5cb01e6c3dbf026146?s=96&d=mm&r=g","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/9c7807c828f30b45e92b8c2fb447f188254cb8653d307e5cb01e6c3dbf026146?s=96&d=mm&r=g","contentUrl":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/9c7807c828f30b45e92b8c2fb447f188254cb8653d307e5cb01e6c3dbf026146?s=96&d=mm&r=g","caption":"drakevotodds"},"url":"https:\/\/www.votodds.com\/blog\/author\/drakevotodds\/"}]}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.votodds.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/560","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.votodds.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.votodds.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.votodds.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.votodds.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=560"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.votodds.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/560\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":563,"href":"https:\/\/www.votodds.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/560\/revisions\/563"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.votodds.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=560"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.votodds.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=560"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.votodds.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=560"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}