A study found that so-called “weekend sleep,” which supplements insufficient sleep on weekdays on we..

Analyzing the health effects of supplemental sleep on weekends
Cardiovascular risk 20% ↓
“Regular sleep habits are the most important, but it’s helpful to do it all weekend.”

사진 확대 an image of sleep. [Pixabay]

A study found that so-called “weekend sleep,” which supplements insufficient sleep on weekdays on weekends, can lower the risk of cardiovascular disease. While many people lack weekday sleep time due to work and study, it is analyzed that weekend supplementary sleep can help their health to some extent.

According to academia on the 6th, researchers analyzed the health data of about 90,000 people registered in the UK Biobank and found that those who supplemented additional sleep on weekends had a lower risk of cardiovascular disease than those who did not. In particular, this association was more clearly confirmed in the group that lacked weekday sleep time.

The researchers compared the participants’ sleep patterns on weekdays and weekends and then followed and analyzed the occurrence of cardiovascular disease for a long time. The results showed that the group with the most “supplemental sleep” over the weekend had an approximately 19-20% lower risk of cardiovascular disease than the group with few supplemental sleep. Studies included the occurrence of major cardiovascular diseases such as ischemic heart disease, heart failure, atrial fibrillation, and stroke.

Study co-author Yan Jun Song explained, “Enough weekend supplemental sleep is associated with reduced cardiovascular risk, and this association has been stronger, especially in people who lack sleep on weekdays.” “Although we cannot fully address our lack of sleep on weekdays, weekend sleep supplementation can help mitigate some health risks,” he added.

Similar results have been reported in another study. According to an Association of Weekend catch-up sleep, sleep duration, and cardiometabolic multimorbidity study published in the journal Journal of Cardiology, weekend supplemental sleep was analyzed as a protective factor for reducing the risk of cardiovascular and metabolic diseases at the same time. The study was based on data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES), and this protective effect was found to be maintained, especially in groups with less than eight hours of sleep on weekdays.

However, experts emphasize that weekend sleep is not a fundamental solution. This is because if the difference in sleep patterns between weekdays and weekends is too large, biological rhythms can be broken. The researchers also explained, “Sleep supplementation has shown some positive associations, but in the long run, maintaining regular and sufficient sleep habits is the most important thing.”