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Researchers at Nanjing Medical University in China have discovered that catching extra sleep on the weekends isn’t just a luxury—it’s actually beneficial for your health. It can significantly reduce the risk of heart attacks and strokes.
How Scientists Made This Discovery
Many of us love to indulge in a little extra time in bed on Saturdays and Sundays. It serves as a way to compensate for the fatigue accumulated during the workweek. However, a new study reveals that this weekend snooze might be more than just a way to recharge; it could actually save our lives.
To understand how additional sleep impacts health, the research team monitored 3,400 participants. They found that volunteers who experienced sleep deprivation during the week but managed to get an extra two hours of sleep on the weekend were 63 percent less likely to suffer from heart attacks or strokes. Conversely, participants who slept less than six hours a night during the workweek and didn’t make up for it on the weekends faced a significantly higher risk of cardiovascular diseases.
The researchers noted that weekend sleep is linked to a lower likelihood of strokes, angina, and other heart-related issues, particularly for those who don’t get enough sleep during the week.
“The study showed that sleep not only provides physiological rest but also profoundly impacts cardiovascular health,” the team concluded.
Other recent studies have corroborated the findings of the Chinese researchers, according to the Daily Mail. Scientists believe that quality sleep lasting seven to eight hours a night serves as a reliable safeguard against heart problems. It reduces the impact of stress hormones on the body, protecting blood vessels from inflammation.
A recent global study revealed that Britons manage to sleep only 15 minutes longer on weekends, on average, while Finns enjoy an extra 26 minutes of sleep during the weekend.
Other researchers suggest that one to two hours of additional sleep on weekends could even help prevent obesity and depression.
