Those extra hours of snoozing over the weekend to make up for sleep lost during a busy week are boosting heart health in many people, according to a new study.
The research, which was presented at the European Society of Cardiology Congress in London, tracked the sleep habits of more than 90,000 people and found that those who sleep-in on Saturday and Sunday mornings may reduce their chances of developing heart disease and stroke by 19%.
And the longer the dream time, the better.
“Those who got the most ‘catch up’ sleep on the weekend, tended to have the lower incidents of cardiovascular outcomes,” said Dr. Joe Lodato, a cardiologist at Kaiser Permanente in D.C.
Researchers found lower rates of heart disease, high blood pressure and stroke among the group.
The study doesn’t detail how much extra sleep is enough. But it’s good news for people with busy schedules and not enough time to get some shut-eye during the week, Lodato said.
But he warned against making a habit of sleeping-in on the weekend.
“Optimal sleep really is 7 to 8 hours of sleep every night,” he said. “That’s the take-home point. We really should be getting good sleep every night, because it’s really critical to overall health.”
Get breaking news and daily headlines delivered to your email inbox by signing up here.
© 2024 WTOP. All Rights Reserved. This website is not intended for users located within the European Economic Area.
