What sleeping in on the weekend could do for your heart health, new research suggests

New research indicates that getting quality sleep on the weekend can benefit your heart health.

The study suggests this could lower the risk of developing heart disease by 19%.

The findings shared in an abstract on Thursday, will be presented at the European Society of Cardiology’s annual congress on Sunday, September 1, according to CNN.

Yanjun Song, a research coauthor from the State Key Laboratory of Infectious Disease at Fuwai Hospital in Beijing, said in a news release that “the association becomes even more pronounced among individuals who regularly experience inadequate sleep on weekdays.”

The study used data from 90,903 participants in the UK Biobank, which tracks the health of over 500,000 people aged 40 to 69 in the UK.

Activity-monitoring watches measured sleep patterns and were divided into four groups based on weekend sleep recovery.

Group 1 had 0.26 to 16.05 fewer hours of sleep on weekends. At the same time, Group 4 enjoyed 1.28 to about 16 extra hours of weekend sleep compared to weekdays.

After nearly 14 years of follow-up, the study revealed that those who caught up on the most sleep during weekends were 19% less likely to face heart issues like heart disease, heart failure, atrial fibrillation, and stroke compared to those who caught up the least.

For participants who slept less than seven hours each night, those who made up the most sleep on weekends had a 20% lower risk of heart disease than those who made up the least. These results were consistent for both men and women.

“While the study does have limitations, such as focusing exclusively on the UK population, its findings underscore the negative impact of chronic sleep deprivation on cardiovascular health,” said Dr. Nieca Goldberg, medical director of Atria New York City, who wasn’t involved in the research.

Other experts suggest addressing inconsistent sleep patterns, affecting more than just heart health. Past research has shown mixed results on weekend sleep catch-up.

Dr. Nour Makarem from Columbia University notes that differences in sleep timing between weekdays and weekends, known as social jet lag, are linked to a higher risk of heart disease.

“Another study demonstrated that trying to make up for sleep deprivation was not effective and in fact worsened diet, resulted in weight gain and reduced insulin sensitivity,” said Dr. Martha Gulati, director of preventive cardiology at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles via email, explaining that despite this study, it’s still not entirely clear which sleep scenario is accurate.

Dr. Makarem advises that maintaining regular sleep patterns every day of the week is important for optimal heart health. Consistency in sleep is crucial for keeping your heart healthy.

She added that the latest research suggests that if you don’t get enough sleep during the week, making up for it on the weekend might offer some protection.

Makarem also said that the research, still in abstract form, leaves some uncertainty about which heart disease risk factors or sleep-related aspects were considered.

However, the study’s strength lies in accounting for genetic risk, offering encouraging news for those with genetic risk factors, as the link between compensatory sleep and lower heart disease risk remained strong.

This finding may be due to good sleep’s connection to healthier blood sugar and blood pressure levels, better diet choices, and a lower risk of obesity.

“Lack of sleep can lead to numerous heart issues including high blood pressure, high cholesterol, heart attack, obesity, diabetes, and stroke,” Goldberg said. “Additionally, interrupted sleep may elevate the risk of high blood pressure and arrhythmias.”

According to Makarem, sufficient sleep improves psychological health and lowers the risk of heart disease.

However, Gulati raised questions about whether there is a limit to weekend sleep catch-up, the minimum daily sleep needed that can’t be made up later, and if those who sleep well have an even better chance of avoiding heart disease.

Here’s more information about how sleep affects heart health: