Weekend Sleep-Ins Linked to Lower Heart Disease Risk

New study finds people who sleep in on weekends and make up the weekday sleep deficit have lower rates of stroke and heart disease.

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Weekend catch-up sleep is more than just beauty rest. In fact, sleeping in could provide a major health upgrade.

A recent study found people who regularly snooze longer on weekends cut their risk of various cardiovascular diseases.

So when your alarm goes off on Saturday morning, feel free to hit snooze and catch a few more winks if you still feel tired. Or don’t set an alarm at all.

Who Benefits the Most?

The study, published in Sleep Health, found that people who slept longer on weekends, making up for lost sleep during the week, had a lower prevalence of cardiovascular diseases such as stroke, coronary heart disease, and angina (chest pain due to reduced blood flow) compared to those who did not have a difference in weekend sleep duration.

Specifically, people who slept less than six hours on weekdays but slept more than two hours longer on weekends demonstrated the largest reduction in the prevalence of cardiovascular issues.

Additionally, those with existing cardiovascular disease were found to have shorter weekend catch-up sleep compared to heart-healthy participants.

However, the study found no association between weekend catch-up sleep and cardiovascular disease risk in participants getting more than six hours of weekday sleep.

The research was based on health data from 3,400 American adults aged 20 and above who had participated in the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, conducted annually by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

The study group contained an approximately equal number of male and female participants. The researchers assessed the self-reported weekday and weekend sleep durations of the participants, as well as medical indicators of their cardiovascular health, notably whether they had conditions such as heart disease, hypertension, or diabetes.

Cardiovascular disease, the leading cause of death globally and in the United States, affects approximately 92.1 million Americans, with estimated direct and indirect costs exceeding $329 per person per year, according to the study.

How Skimping on Sleep Raises Heart Disease Risk

The American Academy of Sleep Medicine recommends at least seven hours of sleep each night for adults to maintain proper physical and mental health.

Unfortunately, nearly 35 percent of Americans sleep less than seven hours nightly, and half often feel sleepy during the day, according to the National Sleep Foundation. This is not surprising, considering a third of adults fail to meet recommended sleep levels, according to the CDC.

“In modern society, short sleep duration is a common sleep-related problem,” the authors of the recent study wrote.

Sleep helps reduce cardiovascular disease risk by lowering blood pressure for longer periods. Hypertension significantly elevates the risk of heart disease by stressing arteries. Chronic high-pressure pulsations strain the arterial walls, hardening the arteries over time. The heart has to generate higher pressures to overcome narrowed, stiff arteries. Over time, the overworked heart muscle may begin to lose pumping efficiency.

Poor sleep also correlates with higher inflammation, which may elevate cardiovascular disease risk, according to the American Heart Association.

How to Get Better Sleep

While getting enough sleep is critical for health, the vital factor of sleep quality should not be overlooked.

Achieving healthier sleep patterns requires commitment. According to the CDC, habits that promote sleep hygiene include:

• Maintaining consistency: Keep the same sleep and wake times each day, including on weekends.
• Relaxing the sleep environment: Ideal sleep settings feature darkness, quiet, and cool temperatures.
• No screens: Remove electronics such as TVs, computers, and smartphones from the bedroom.
• No eating before bed: Avoid large, late meals and refrain from caffeine and alcohol.
• Exercise daily: This can make falling asleep at night easier.

If falling asleep proves difficult after 20 minutes in bed, temporarily leave the bedroom and engage in relaxing, low-light activities such as reading, light yoga stretches, or drinking a cup of herbal tea. Steer clear of stimulating electronics or bright lights, however.