Sleeping In on Weekends May Lower

New research suggests that sleeping in on weekends may help you catch up on lost sleep and significantly lower your heart disease risk.
Millions of Americans are sleep-deprived.
As many as 1 in 3 adults report insufficient sleep, with an estimated 50 to 70 million peopleTrusted Source living with chronic or ongoing sleep disorders.

Not getting enough quality sleep amid the demands of school, work, or childrearing responsibilities can wreak havoc on productivity and lead to physical and mental health problems. Long-term sleep deprivation may also increase the risk of heart disease and death.
Now, a new research analysis offers a comforting prospect: It may be possible to “catch up” on lost sleep from the typical workweek by sleeping in on weekends. In doing so, people may see their risk of heart disease reduced by up to 20%.

How the restorative effects of sleep on heart health was studied
For this study, cardiovascular researchers analyzed data from 90,903 subjects in the UK Biobank. Participants had self-reported how much they slept as part of this project.
Around 1 in 5 subjects were considered to be sleep-deprived, which was defined as sleeping less than 7 hours per night.

The researchers wanted to assess how “compensated sleep”—or catching up on lost sleep on weekends—impacts heart disease risk.
Subjects were divided into four groups based on how much “compensated” sleep they were able to get on weekends.
Over an average follow-up of about 14 years, participants in group 4, who had the most compensatory sleep, were 19% less likely to develop heart disease compared to group 1, who had the least amount of compensatory sleep.

In a subgroup of subjects with daily sleep deprivation, individuals with the most compensatory sleep had a 20% lower risk of heart disease compared to those with the least.
There were no differences in these findings between males and females.
“Sleep deprivation can elevate stress hormones like cortisol, which can contribute to heart problems. Catching up on sleep can help lower these levels,” Tadwalkar told Healthline.

“Chronic sleep deprivation can additionally lead to elevated blood pressure and heart rate. ‘Compensatory sleep’ can help normalize these vital signs. Sleep is also known to be key for a healthy immune system. Adequate sleep can help your body better fight off infections and inflammation, which is linked to heart disease,” he explained.