January 1, Sleeping In On The Weekends Cuts Heart Disease Risk by 20%

For many dedicated Americans who hustle day in and day out, the struggle of sleep deprivation is all too real.

A recent Gallup poll reveals that 57% of adults admit they’d “feel better if they got more sleep,” yet only 42% manage to get “as much sleep as they need.” It’s no wonder people look forward to those weekends when they can finally catch up on lost sleep.

New research now confirms that weekend sleep can significantly benefit heart health. Presented at the European Society of Cardiology (ESC) Congress 2024 in London, this groundbreaking study from Chinese cardiovascular researchers analyzed sleep data from 90,903 individuals over a 14-year period.

Shockingly, 21.8% of participants reported being sleep-deprived, defined as getting less than seven hours of sleep per night. The study found that those who recover more sleep over the weekends have a 20% lower risk of developing heart conditions such as ischemic heart disease, heart failure, atrial fibrillation, and stroke.

Yanjun Song of the State Key Laboratory of Infectious Disease at Fuwai Hospital, National Centre for Cardiovascular Disease in Beijing, confirmed that “sufficient compensatory sleep is linked to a lower risk of heart disease.” Co-researcher Zechen Liu echoed this by indicating that those with the most catch-up sleep enjoyed notably lower rates of heart disease.

Dr. Marc Siegel, senior medical analyst and clinical professor of medicine, called the research “revealing,” highlighting that even in the absence of a double-blinded prospective randomized trial, the findings affirm the value of weekend catch-up sleep. Siegel further explained that this “sleep debt” recovery is restorative, reducing stress hormones and benefiting heart health.

Dr. Wendy Troxel from the RAND Corporation advises caution, stressing that the findings are preliminary and shouldn’t give people a false sense of security about compensating for sleep deprivation. She recommended maintaining a consistent sleep schedule for robust health benefits.

While the research has its limitations, it does shine a light on the importance of sleep for heart health. This serves as a crucial reminder for the hardworking American populace—your health should always come first.

Let’s not just catch up on sleep but strive for a balanced schedule throughout the week to ensure we’re at our best, both mentally and physically.

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