Case study: Dan's "fine" fortnight
You will be able to: Spot sleep debt in someone else's week, and choose sensible next steps.
A made-up case, built from the facts in this module
Dan, 41, runs a small bike repair shop. He opens at 8:30, gets up at 6:45 on weekdays, and says he sleeps "fine, seven hours or so". He goes to bed at 23:15 but usually scrolls football clips until about midnight. On Saturdays he sleeps until 10:00, and on Sundays until 9:30.
Lately he has had two small scares: he forgot to torque a customer's wheel nuts properly, and last Thursday he missed his turn-off on the drive home and only noticed a few minutes later. His partner says he has been "short with everyone".
Here is his week, as he wrote it in a sleep diary:
| Night of | Mon | Tue | Wed | Thu | Fri | Sat | Sun |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lights out | 00:05 | 00:20 | 23:55 | 00:30 | 01:00 | 00:45 | 23:50 |
| Minutes to fall asleep | 10 | 15 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 25 |
| Got up next morning | 06:45 | 06:45 | 06:45 | 06:45 | 10:00 | 09:30 | 06:45 |
| Sleep (approx.) | 6 h 30 | 6 h 10 | 6 h 40 | 6 h 05 | 8 h 50 | 8 h 35 | 6 h 30 |
| Rested next morning (1-5) | 3 | 2 | 3 | 2 | 4 | 4 | 2 |
(Sleep here = from lights out to getting up, minus the minutes to fall asleep; Dan reported no long wake-ups.)
What the diary shows
- "Seven hours or so" is really about 6 hours 20 minutes on the five nights before work days (Sunday to Thursday nights, on average). Dan was counting from when he went to bed, not from when he stopped scrolling and fell asleep.
- The weekend is a clue. He sleeps about 2 hours 20 minutes longer on the nights before free days. That gap is the pattern of someone repaying a debt.
- His wake-up time jumps by 3 hours 15 minutes from 06:45 on weekdays to 10:00 on Saturday. On Sunday night he takes 25 minutes to fall asleep, which fits: he got up late that morning, so he had been awake for less time and may have been less ready for sleep.
- The daytime signs fit: two lapses at work and on the road, low "rested" scores late in the week, and irritability.
Missing a turn-off and not remembering the last stretch of road are both on the CDC's list of drowsy-driving warning signs. That is the most urgent point here.
What would you do?
Pick the option you think is best for each situation. You will see feedback for every choice, and you can try the others too.
Your turn: choose Dan's Friday night
Dan has had enough of feeling flat. It is Friday, and he wants a better weekend. Every choice you make changes his night. There are three different endings: can you find them all?
Sources
- CDC MMWR (2013), Drowsy driving (warning signs; tricks that do not work)
- Depner et al. (2019), PubMed 30827911 (weekend recovery sleep)
- NHS, Sleep apnoea (symptoms; bring a witness)
- NHS, Insomnia (get up at the same time each day; relax at least 1 hour before bed; no big meal late at night; no devices right before bed; no daytime naps; do not sleep in after a bad night)
- Ebrahim et al. (2013), PubMed 23347102 (alcohol: faster sleep onset, more broken sleep later in the night)
Next: try this tonight, your anchor time