A new study has revealed that sleeping longer on weekends may benefit heart health, helping to lower blood pressure.
Researchers found that people who slept somewhat longer on weekends were up to 9% less likely to develop high blood pressure, meaning that making up for lost sleep on days off could reduce some of the health damage caused by an exhausting week, according to what was published by Russia Today's website.
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Chronic, uncontrolled high blood pressure can cause serious damage to blood vessels throughout the body, making it a major cause of complications such as heart attacks, strokes, and dementia.
Dr. Nan Lee of Korea University in Seoul said: "People shouldn't feel lazy or guilty about sleeping a bit longer on the weekend. Lack of sleep puts extra strain on the body and makes the heart and blood vessels work harder, and getting a bit of extra sleep on the weekend may give the body a chance to recover and ease some of that strain."
Dr. Lee studied the health records of more than 41,000 people over seven years, and the results showed that people who slept longer on weekends compared to weekdays were, on average, 6% less likely to develop high blood pressure. The greatest benefit was seen among those who slept an extra hour and 27 minutes, whose risk of developing the condition dropped by 9%.
Health experts generally recommend that people sleep seven to nine hours a night, but many fail to achieve this due to poor health habits and busy lifestyles. During sleep, blood pressure drops noticeably, giving the body a chance to recover from the day's stresses, and lack of sleep means this process is shortened or lost, which can harm the heart, veins, and arteries over time.
Experts usually say that going to bed and waking up at the same time every day is best for sleep health, but Dr. Lee added, during the European Society of Cardiology conference in Munich: "The benefits of catching up on lost sleep may outweigh the potential harm of an irregular sleep schedule. Maintaining a regular sleep schedule is still important, but getting a moderate amount of makeup sleep may actually be beneficial, rather than something we should feel guilty about."
