A recent study presented at the European Society of Cardiology (ESC) Congress 2024 suggests that getting more sleep on weekends can significantly reduce the risk of heart disease.
The study, conducted by Chinese researchers using data from the United Kingdom Biobank, found that people who are sleep deprived during the week can benefit from extra sleep on weekends, potentially lowering their risk of heart disease by up to 20%.
The study, which examined sleep data from 90,903 participants over a median of 14 years, discovered that 21.8% of them reported getting less than seven hours of sleep per night, which is considered insufficient. Among these sleep-deprived participants, those who took advantage of weekend sleep opportunities had a 20% lower risk of developing heart conditions such as ischemic heart disease, heart failure, atrial fibrillation, and stroke than those who did not get any extra sleep.
Yanjun Song, a study co-author from Fuwai Hospital in Beijing, stated that adequate compensatory sleep is associated with a lower risk of heart disease, particularly for people who regularly get insufficient sleep during the week. Co-author Zechen Liu noted that those who got the most extra sleep on weekends had significantly lower rates of heart disease.
Dr. Marc Siegel, a senior medical analyst and clinical professor of medicine, called the findings “revealing,” despite the fact that the study was not a randomized trial. Siegel stated that weekend sleep catch-up can be restorative, potentially lowering stress hormone levels and improving heart health.
Despite these findings, experts recommend maintaining consistent sleep patterns. Dr. Nisha Parikh, director of Northwell Health’s Women’s Heart Program, emphasized the importance of sleeping seven to nine hours per night to avoid sleep debt.
The study also identified limitations, such as the fact that many participants’ sleep patterns did not meet the criteria for sleep deprivation, which may limit the applicability of the findings. Furthermore, the study made no distinction between the effects of sleep catch-up on men and women.
Overall, the study suggests that weekend sleep catch-up can reduce some of the risks associated with sleep deprivation, but regular, adequate sleep is critical for long-term heart health.
FOX News, New York Post and the Guardian contributed to this report.
