Many of us enjoy a weekend of relaxing, especially after a busy week at work.
And new research has shown that hitting snooze on your Saturday and Sunday alarms can be beneficial to your health: warding off high blood pressure and improving heart health.
Researchers from Korea University have found that an extra hour and 27 minutes of sleep on the weekend can help maintain healthy blood pressure. By sleeping this extra time, you reduce the risk of developing high blood pressure or hypertension by nine percent.
The study, which assessed 41,000 adults over a seven-year period, looked at how much ‘catch-up’ sleep participants got on Saturdays and Sundays, as well as their blood pressure and how much exercise they did.
The findings were presented at the European Society of Cardiology conference held in Munich, where the researchers said people should not feel ‘lazy or guilty’ about indulging in their weekend late sleepers.
Dr. Nawton Lee said a lack of sleep can put “additional stress” on the body, causing the heart and blood vessels to “work harder” and raising blood pressure.
“Getting some extra sleep on the weekend can give the body a chance to recover and reduce some of that stress,” said Dr. Lee. ‘People shouldn’t feel lazy or guilty if they sleep a little longer on the weekend.’
The study found that participants who got some extra sleep on the weekend were six percent less likely to develop high blood pressure.
Researchers from Korea University have found that an extra hour and 27 minutes of sleep on the weekend can help maintain healthy blood pressure
Participants who were physically inactive saw a greater benefit, reducing their risk of hypertension by 6.9 percent.
Around one in three British adults suffer from high blood pressure, with the average adult recording six to six.4 hours of sleep per night – significantly less than the NHS recommended seven to nine hours.
However, the study found that those who logged more than four hours of extra sleep on the weekend were at greater risk of high blood pressure.
Dr. Lee said that when catch-up sleep becomes excessive, the level of sleep irregularity and circadian disruption may increase, which could offset that benefit.
Dr. Sonya Babu-Narayan, clinical director at the British Heart Foundation and consultant cardiologist, told The Times: ‘Many of us struggle to get enough sleep during the week due to work, family and social commitments, so it’s normal for us to sleep in at the weekend in an attempt to catch up on missed sleep.
“This research isn’t a green light to let physical activity take a back seat, but for now, maybe we don’t have to feel guilty about getting up late on weekends.”
