Key points from article :
A recent study suggests that catching up on sleep during the weekends can significantly reduce the risk of heart disease. Researchers analyzed data from over 90,000 participants in the UK Biobank project and found that people who caught up on sleep during weekends were up to 20% less likely to develop heart disease compared to those who did not. The study defined sleep-deprived individuals as those who slept less than seven hours per night and noted that extra weekend sleep ranged from 1.28 to 16.06 hours.
Prof Yanjun Song from China’s National Centre for Cardiovascular Disease emphasized the importance of compensatory sleep, stating that “sufficient compensatory sleep is linked to a lower risk of heart disease,” especially for individuals who experience inadequate sleep on weekdays. This highlights the potential benefits of adjusting sleep patterns to improve heart health, even though a consistent, adequate sleep schedule remains ideal.
Experts like Prof James Leiper from the British Heart Foundation, who was not involved in the study, caution that while weekend catch-up sleep may help, it is no substitute for a regular sleep routine. Leiper underscores the importance of aiming for at least seven hours of sleep each night to support overall wellbeing and reduce heart disease risk. Future research is needed to further explore the impact of sleep patterns on heart health and to adapt modern lifestyles accordingly.
