Study: Catching up on weekend sleep could lower heart disease

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2-09-2024, 17:41

INA - SOURCES

A new study suggests that people who "catch up" on sleep by sleeping in on weekends may lower their risk of heart disease by 20%.
People are swamped and work and school demands often interfere with getting adequate sleep.

"Sufficient compensatory sleep is linked to a lower risk of heart disease," said study co-author Yanjun Song, of the State Key Laboratory of Infectious Disease, Fuwai Hospital, National Centre for Cardiovascular Disease, in Beijing. "The association becomes even more pronounced among individuals who regularly experience inadequate sleep on weekdays."

The findings were presented at the European Society of Cardiology Congress 2024.

People who are tired during the week often sleep in on weekends, but little research has been done on whether so-called compensatory sleep helps heart health, the researchers said in a news release. This study suggests that it does.

James Leiper, an associate medical director at the British Heart Foundation, who was not part of the study, said: "Lots of us don't get enough sleep due to work or family commitments, and while a weekend lie-in is no replacement for a regular good night's sleep, this large study suggests that it might help reduce risk of heart disease."