At a time when I was sleep deprived I felt completely OK. When I caught up on the sleep I felt worse. I think it's because sleep deprivation also deprives you o

At a time when I was sleep deprived I felt completely OK. When I caught up on the sleep I felt worse. I think it's because sleep deprivation also deprives you of the ability to notice the negative effects well enough. That's probably not what's happening with you if you naturally sleep 5 hours per night without an alarm though. If you are using an alarm, you should try sleeping as long as your body feels like for two weeks. Don't block sunlight from your windows, let the sun make sure you wake up if your body thinks you've slept enough. If your body thinks you are still not rested, it will keep you asleep even in sunlight.