Sleeping longer on weekends may help protect against high blood pressure

Sleeping longer on weekends may help protect the heart and blood vessels, particularly for people who do not get enough sleep during the working week. Researchers say there is no need to feel guilty about moderate extra sleep.

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Because of this, the heart and blood vessels work under greater strain, which can increase blood pressure.

A seven-year study of 41,000 adults found that people who slept longer on weekends had a lower likelihood of developing high blood pressure. The analysis identified about one hour and 27 minutes as the optimal amount of additional sleep, associated with a 9% lower risk. Participants who slept any amount longer on weekends had an average 6% lower risk.

Dr Nawon Li of Korea University in Seoul said sleep deprivation placed additional stress on the body, forcing the heart and blood vessels to work harder and potentially raising blood pressure. “Extra weekend sleep can give the body an opportunity to recover and reduce that stress. People should not feel lazy or guilty for sleeping a little longer,” she said.

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Extra weekend sleep can give the body an opportunity to recover and reduce that stress. People should not feel lazy or guilty for sleeping a little longer.

The study, presented at a meeting of the European Society of Cardiology, also found that more than four extra hours of weekend sleep was associated with a higher risk of hypertension. Li said excessive catch-up sleep could make sleep patterns more irregular and disrupt the body’s circadian rhythm. She added that maintaining a regular sleep schedule remained important, while moderate recovery sleep could still be beneficial, including for people who were not physically active.

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Among people who do not sleep enough during the week, the benefit of catching up on sleep may be greater than the potential harm caused by an irregular sleep schedule.