A recent study by researchers at Nanjing Medical University in China suggests that getting extra shut-eye on weekends could improve cardiovascular health and lower the risk of heart attacks. The study, conducted on 3,400 adults aged 20 and older in the US between 2017 and 2018, found that those who slept at least one hour longer on weekends than weekdays had lower rates of cardiovascular diseases such as stroke, coronary heart disease, and angina.
Dr. Marc Siegel, a clinical professor of medicine at NYU Langone Medical Center, explained that sleeping less than six hours per night can increase stress hormone release and the risk of heart attack and stroke. The study showed that catching up on sleep by getting at least two extra hours on the weekend can bring the risk of heart disease back to baseline.
While Dr. Siegel noted that the study is observational and not definitive proof, he believes the findings are significant. Other experts, like Dr. Biquan Luo, a sleep expert from San Francisco, caution against poor sleep habits during the week. Chronic sleep deprivation can lead to chronic fatigue, obesity, and cardiovascular diseases. Experts recommend at least seven hours of sleep per night, with the CDC warning that lack of sleep can contribute to heart disease, type 2 diabetes, obesity, depression, and high blood pressure.
