Weekend lie-ins could protect against high blood pressure, new research suggests. Scientists say people should not feel guilty about sleeping in at the weekend as it could be the body’s way of recovering.
A seven-year study of 41,000 adults found people who slept in late at the weekend were less likely to have high blood pressure. Analysis identified the perfect amount of catch-up sleep - with a one hour and 27 minute lie-in resulting in the most benefit. Someone getting this amount of extra sleep would be 9% less likely to have high blood pressure.
Body’s way of recovering
Study author Dr Nawon Lee, of Korea University in Seoul, said: “Not getting enough sleep puts extra stress on the body. It keeps the heart and blood vessels working harder and can increase blood pressure.
“Getting some extra sleep on the weekend may give the body a chance to recover and reduce some of that stress.
“People should not feel lazy or guilty for sleeping a little longer on the weekend. If they have not been able to get enough sleep during the week, some extra sleep on the weekend may simply be the body’s way of recovering from that sleep loss.”
Silent killer risk
The average British adult gets between 6 and 6.4 hours of sleep per night - below the recommended 7 to 9 hours. Not getting enough sleep is known to prevent blood pressure from dropping at night, which increases the risk of developing high blood pressure.
Officially known as hypertension, it is referred to in medical circles as the “silent killer” because it is often symptomless despite increasing the risk of heart attacks and strokes. Around one in three UK adults - or 13 million people - have hypertension but many are unaware.
Moderate catch-up sleep beneficial
Previous research had stressed the importance of having a regular bedtime and wake-up time and many experts dismissed the idea that you should catch up on missed sleep at the weekend.
However the new research presented at the European Society of Cardiology showed that getting some catch-up sleep could boost heart health - whereas getting too much could be harmful. People getting over four hours extra sleep at the weekend were at greater risk of hypertension.
Dr Lee added: “I think moderate weekend catch-up sleep may have a protective effect because, in people who are sleep-deprived during the week, the benefit of compensating for insufficient sleep may outweigh the potential harm from having an irregular sleep schedule.
“However when weekend catch-up sleep becomes excessive, the degree of sleep irregularity and circadian disruption may increase, which could offset that benefit.”
She added: “Keeping a regular sleep schedule is still important, but getting a moderate amount of catch-up sleep may be beneficial rather than something to feel bad about.”
Study participants who had any duration of catch-up sleep at the weekend were 6% less likely to have high blood pressure on average. A greater benefit of weekend catch up sleep was seen in people who didn’t get enough exercise and were considered to be physically inactive. They were 6.9% less likely to have hypertension if they had weekend lie-ins.
Participants were deemed inactive if they did not get the World Health Organization’s weekly recommended 150 minutes of moderate exercise, or 75 minutes vigorous exercise, or a combination of both.
It comes after previous research had shown regular bedtimes and wake-ups reduced the risk of a stroke. The study by the University of Ottawa in Canada tracked more than 72,000 volunteers' sleeping habits using activity trackers. Irregular sleepers were 26% more likely to suffer a stroke, heart failure or heart attack than regular ones.
This latest study shows that catching up on sleep at the weekend can help even if it means disrupting the body clock, known as the circadian rhythm.
Dr Sonya Babu-Narayan, clinical director at the British Heart Foundation and consultant cardiologist, said: “Many of us struggle to get enough sleep during the week due to work, family and social commitments, so it’s natural if we find ourselves enjoying a lie-in at the weekend in an effort to catch up on missed sleep.
“This study is not a green light for physical activity to take a back seat but for now perhaps we don’t need to feel guilty about getting up late at the weekend.”
