People who catch up on sleep during weekends after weekday deprivation showed a significantly lower risk of cardiovascular disease over time, according to data presented at a major European cardiology meeting and published in a peer-reviewed journal.
By yourNEWS Media Newsroom
Sleeping longer on weekends to compensate for weekday sleep loss may substantially reduce the risk of heart disease, particularly among people who are chronically sleep-deprived, according to findings drawn from a large, long-term population study.
Researchers reported the results at the European Society of Cardiology Congress in 2024, with the analysis later published in the European Heart Journal. The study tracked 90,903 participants for nearly 14 years and found that those who recovered sleep on weekends had a 19% to 20% lower risk of developing heart disease compared with those who did not.
The data were derived from the UK Biobank, a large research project that collects health, lifestyle, and genetic information from volunteers. Researchers examined patterns of weekday sleep deprivation and weekend sleep recovery, then analyzed cardiovascular outcomes over time.
Among participants who consistently slept fewer than seven hours per night during the workweek, compensating with longer sleep on weekends was associated with the greatest benefit. In this chronically sleep-deprived group, the risk of cardiovascular events was about 20% lower for those who caught up on sleep compared with those who did not.
“Sufficient compensatory sleep is linked to a lower risk of heart disease,” said study co-author Yanjun Song of Fuwai Hospital. “The association becomes even more pronounced among individuals who regularly experience inadequate sleep on weekdays.”
Sleep plays a central role in regulating inflammation, hormone balance, blood pressure, and cellular repair. Disruptions to these processes are known contributors to cardiovascular disease. Researchers noted that modern lifestyles—characterized by late bedtimes, prolonged screen exposure, and irregular schedules—have increasingly disrupted natural circadian rhythms.
Previous research has shown that adults who regularly sleep seven to eight hours per night tend to have the lowest long-term mortality rates, while chronic sleep deprivation has been linked to hypertension, stroke, weight gain, neurodegenerative disease, and higher overall mortality.
The new findings challenge the long-held assumption that lost sleep cannot be recovered and suggest that weekend sleep recovery may partially offset the cardiovascular strain caused by insufficient weekday rest.
While the researchers emphasized that consistent, adequate nightly sleep remains the preferred goal, they noted that weekend recovery sleep may serve as a meaningful protective factor for people unable to meet recommended sleep duration during the workweek.
The study adds to a growing body of evidence highlighting sleep as a critical component of cardiovascular health and suggests that addressing chronic sleep loss could play a role in reducing the burden of heart disease over time.
Watch this video about the effects of sleep on health.
This video is from the CleanTV channel on Brighteon.com.
Source: Natural News
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