Busy week have you caught up on sleep over the weekend? It may be so good for your heart healthaccording to new research.
In a study to be presented at European Society of Cardiology Congress on Sunday, researchers found that the risk of heart disease was reduced by about 20% for people who slept in on the weekends to catch up on sleep lost earlier in the week.
The study used data from 90,903 people, whose sleep patterns were self-reported. In the study, sleep deprivation was defined as having less than seven hours of sleep per night. A total of 19,816 participants were categorized as sleep-deprived and underwent a health follow-up over a decade later.
“Our results show that for the significant proportion of the population in modern society that suffers from sleep deprivation, those who sleep the most on weekends have significantly lower rates of heart disease than those who have the least.” said author Zechen Liu a press release.
The study found no differences between men and women, but the results differed depending on how much sleep was lost.
“The association is even more pronounced among individuals who regularly experience insufficient sleep on weekdays,” co-author Yanjun Song said in the release.
This study has not yet been published by a peer-reviewed publication, but was selected to be presented at the Cardiology Conference in London.
Previous research has shown that bad sleep is bad for our health – but there are ways to improve sleep hygieneincluding adjusting sleep schedules and environments to be ready for good rest.
Experts also suggest focusing on sleep quality over quantity. Strategies for improve sleep quality include limiting alcohol and caffeine intake, reducing screen time before bed, and managing how much fluid you drink before bed.