Playoff games such as the NBA Finals and Stanley Cup finals, as well as the World Series and NFL games on Sunday, Monday, and Thursday nights later in the year, can keep you glued to your TV until well after midnight.

But the alarm clock never goes off any later the next morning, and you may have to head to work or get the kids to school with a mind-numbing five hours or less of shut-eye.

Call that unnecessary roughness — and it inevitably leads to a big penalty for you!

Getting that little sleep causes fuzzy thinking, interferes with memory (it can even lead to formation of false memories), inflicts cell damage (especially to the liver, lung and small intestines), and ding up your sex life.

And if you have prediabetes or diabetes, researchers at Weill Cornell Medical College in Doha, Qatar, found that every 30 minutes of weekday sleep debt increases your risk of obesity by 17 percent and your risk of insulin resistance by 39 percent.

Of course, you don’t want to miss the end of a big game, so what's the solution?

How about recording the end of the game to watch over breakfast; plan for a 30-minute walk and then a power nap at your lunch hour the next day; make an effort to eat well (lots of veggies and whole grains, lean protein and water); and get 30 minutes of added exercise later in the day to help regulate your metabolism.

Then you'll be playoff-sharp for the championships.