In this age of technology and stress, we all tend to snooze our alarms on the weekend to get that 1 hour more of peaceful sleep. Snooze was considered a villain till now. But then the tables turned and now recent studies suggest that catching up on weekdays’ sleep on the weekends can reduce your risk of heart disease by 20%. Who knew that mothers’ villains could turn into our heroes?!
The findings go against conventional wisdom–experts have long cautioned the rest of us to maintain a regular sleep pattern (waking and going to bed at roughly the same time each day, even on weekends).
In the study, researchers analyzed data from almost 91,000 participants in the UK Biobank and looked for a correlation between weekend “catch-up sleep” with heart disease. The researchers report that the more sleep participants got each weekend, the lower their risk of heart disease, and within this group were those who normally had low weekday levels of sleep. The highest average sleep durations were associated with a decreased risk of heart disease compared to short-duration sleep, up to about 1 hour, and 15 minutes in the alternate-hour area.
Over a follow-up period of 14 years, the team found people with the most extra sleep (ranging from 1.28 to 16.06 hours of additional sleep during weekends), were 19% less likely to develop heart disease than those with the least amount of compensatory sleep (ranging from losing 16.05 hours to losing 0.26 hours over the weekend).
The role of sleep in your heart’s health
Sleep is important for every part of your health, even heart health. In terms of sleep, the body does a lot which is essential for the repair and rejuvenation of the cardiovascular system. Prolonged periods of less than optimal sleep can boost the risk for conditions such as hypertension, bad cholesterol levels, and inflammation, factors associated with a greater likelihood of developing heart disease. Insufficient sleep can also lead to increased stress and hormonal imbalances all of which stress the cardiovascular system.
The weekend sleep-in fix
The sleep you catch up on during weekends can reverse some of the damage done by weekday tiredness. If people catch up on their sleep from the week, they may see improvements in mood, energy levels, and well-being. This extra sleep may reduce stress in the short-term run and also help you to repay what you owe for all of that missed rest earlier.
Possible heart disease benefits
Regular, high-quality sleep is best for overall heart health A hopeful finding of this research was that extra hours spent sleeping over the weekend may help provide some protection from lower weekday totals. Weekend sleep-ins may relieve some strain on the cardiovascular system by giving it more time to recover, researchers say. This temporary relief might help protect against heart disease for many who have sleep problems during the workweek.
There is evidence that weekend “recovery” can reverse some of the damage from prolonged weekday sleep deprivation. Frequent deprivation of the recommended hours of sleep can have a cumulative effect on health, and catching up during weekends might not completely counteract risks from chronic lack of sufficient sleep. Stick to a regular sleep schedule and work to resolve any underlying factors that may be disrupting the quality of your sleep.
Tips on how to sleep better
To improve sleep quality, cardiac health, and overall well-being use some of the strategies described below:
To sleep better establish a routine:
Over time, sleeping and waking up at the same times every day (yes even on weekends) eventually helps regulate your body’s internal clock which is connected to how well you sleep.
Establish a wind-down bedtime routine:
Use serene things before bed like reading or bath to indicate to your body that you are preparing for sleep. As an example, cutting down on the time you spend looking at a screen (phone or TV) before bed can enhance both sleep latency and quality.
Optimally manage stress:
Use relaxation and stress-reduction techniques, such as meditation or gentle physical activity to improve sleep and mental well-being.
Studies find that weekend sleep-ins or repleting of lost hours on weekdays by compensating with a long haul can trigger some benefits to heart health as it gives more rest and recovery for our body. That said, to maintain long-term cardiovascular health the sleep regularity of the week must be consistent throughout the days. Following good sleep hygiene and promptly treating any kind of sleep-related problems are ways people can better care for their heart health, and quality of life as a whole.