New Research Links Sleeping in on Weekends to Lower Heart Disease Risk. Here’s What a Sleep Expert Thinks

For this study, researchers gathered data from more than 90,000 participants using the U.K. Biobank database. Almost 20,000 participants reported being sleep-deprived, which the study defines as getting fewer than seven hours of sleep per night. The remaining participants said they get the occasional night of bad sleep, but they didn't meet the criteria for sleep deprivation. After following participants for 14 years, the study authors found those who got the most compensatory sleep (i.e., the most "catch up" sleep on weekends) were less likely to develop heart disease than those with the least compensatory sleep (i.e., the least "catch up" sleep).

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So what does this all mean for the average (and maybe slightly sleep-deprived) person? Should we all be sleeping in on the weekends to improve our heart health, especially if we're sleeping poorly throughout the week? We spoke with physician and certified sleep specialist Angela Holliday-Bell, MD, to learn more.

What does this research mean? (Is it legit?)

This study is large and followed people for more than a decade, both of which give it credibility points. But there are a few caveats to keep in mind.

First, like many observational studies, this one found a link between sleep factors and heart disease, but a connection doesn't mean these sleep factors for sure cause or prevent heart disease.

Along with that, it's unclear whether and how much the researchers took into account participants' other heart disease risk factors, like family history and diet, for example (Well+Good reached out to the study authors for an interview but did not immediately hear back).

Also, on a more technical note, the study was presented rather than published in a medical journal, so it may not have gone through a peer-review process (where other medical professionals weigh in on how legit the study design and findings are).

What's more, there aren't many previous findings that indicate "catching up on sleep" is good for your heart health. In fact, much of the research done to this point hasn't shown a positive effect from more weekend sleep.

What we do know? Too little sleep on a consistent basis can increase your blood pressure, blood sugar, and inflammation, all of which is bad for your heart, per Harvard Health Publishing. And according to a January 2019 study in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology, getting fewer than six hours of sleep per night on the regular is associated with increased heart attack risk.

Dr. Holliday-Bell says sleeping in on the weekends isn't necessarily a bad thing: "I think getting a sufficient amount of sleep [on any given night] will always beat out losing sleep and will have a beneficial effect, even if it means throwing off consistency," she says.

But, she adds, consistently getting adequate sleep—at least seven hours a night for adults, per the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention—is still the gold standard to aim for. And keeping a consistent sleep schedule should help you meet that target. For instance, going to bed at 10 p.m. and waking up at 6 a.m. every day gets you eight hours of shut-eye per night.

If you're going to sleep in, set a time limit

Timeframe is key here, says Dr. Holliday-Bell. She normally recommends people only sleep in for an extra hour if they're going to do so on the weekends. "I've always held the stance that sleeping in for about an hour is likely fine, but sleeping in longer than that is more likely to throw off your circadian rhythm, which has been linked to a variety of different health conditions, including some cancers²," she says.

That said, if you're sick (i.e., fighting off the flu or a cold), or extremely sleep-deprived (looking at you, first responders and parents of newborns), Dr. Holliday-Bell says adding a few extra zzzs could actually help when it comes to health conditions.

Just keep in mind: Everyone's sleep needs are vastly different depending on factors like age, work schedule, health, and more. If you feel like you're not getting enough sleep overall and are worried about the effects on your health, talk to your doctor. They can offer some advice or even refer you for a sleep study to make sure you don't have an underlying sleep disorder.

—reviewed by Jennifer Logan, MD, MPH