Sleeping More on Weekends: A new study presented on Sunday at the European Society of Cardiology Congress in London suggests that compensating for sleep loss over the weekend can significantly reduce the risk of heart disease.
Many people get insufficient sleep during the workweek, hoping to recover the lost sleep—often referred to as “sleep debt”—on the weekends. The Cleveland Clinic explains that “sleep debt” is the difference between the amount of sleep the body needs, typically seven to eight hours per night, and the actual amount of sleep one gets.
Sleeping More on Weekends, According to NBC News, cardiovascular researchers based in China conducted a study showing that individuals who slept more during the weekend were 19% less likely to develop heart disease compared to those who got less additional sleep. Previous research has established a link between insufficient sleep and poorer health outcomes, but there has been limited research on the impact of extra weekend sleep on heart health.
Researchers at the Fuwai Hospital’s Infectious Diseases Laboratory and the Beijing Cardiovascular Disease Center analyzed data from 190,930 participants in the UK Biobank project to explore the relationship between heart disease and “recovered sleep” on weekends. Participants reported their sleep hours, and the findings revealed that one in five participants suffered from sleep deprivation, getting less than seven hours of sleep per night.
Sleeping More on Weekends Reduces Heart Disease Risk
Sleeping More on Weekends, In this study, participants were divided into four groups based on the amount of extra sleep they got on weekends. The researchers tracked the participants’ health over almost 14 years through hospital records and death certificates to see if they developed heart disease. They found that those who slept more during the weekend, averaging between one to sixteen extra hours, had a 19% lower risk of developing heart disease compared to those who got the least amount of extra sleep on weekends.
Sleeping More on Weekends, However, this study has limitations, as it only suggests a correlation between extra weekend sleep and reduced cardiovascular risk without proving a direct cause-and-effect relationship. Dr. Mohammed Adil Rishi, an associate professor of medicine at Indiana University School of Medicine, pointed out that the study did not account for other factors that could influence the results.
Experts suggest that getting a few extra hours of sleep on the weekend may help offset the accumulated “sleep debt” from the week. A 2019 study also highlighted the link between sleep patterns, unhealthy eating, and weight gain. Dr. Rishi noted that while longer weekend sleep can reduce fatigue and sleepiness, it does not entirely eliminate the risk of obesity in those who are sleep-deprived.
Sleeping More on Weekends, A recent Gallup poll indicated that only 42% of U.S. adults get enough sleep, with 57% saying they would feel better if they could sleep more. This highlights the widespread issue of sleep deprivation and the potential health benefits of catching up on sleep during the weekend.
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