The study, which will be presented at the European Society of Cardiology’s annual congress, utilized data from the UK Biobank, tracking health outcomes of over 90,000 participants between the ages of 40 and 69. Researchers found that those who compensated for lost sleep on weekends had a significantly lower risk of cardiovascular conditions, such as heart disease, heart failure, atrial fibrillation, and stroke.
According to the research, participants who got the most additional sleep on weekends—ranging from 1.28 to about 16 hours more than their weekday sleep—experienced the greatest benefit. This group was 19% less likely to develop heart disease compared to those who had minimal catch-up sleep. Among those with daily sleep deprivation (defined as less than seven hours per night), the risk of heart disease was reduced by 20% for those who made the most effort to catch up on sleep.
Yanjun Song, a coauthor of the study, emphasized that the benefits of weekend sleep catch-up were more pronounced among individuals who regularly experienced inadequate sleep during the week. The findings underscore the negative impact of chronic sleep deprivation on cardiovascular health.
