Catching up on sleep on weekends may lower risk of heart disease, study finds

Busy week have you catching up on sleep during the weekend? That may be good for your heart health , according to new research.

In a study set to be presented at the European Society of Cardiology Congress on Sunday, researchers found the risk of heart disease fell 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 have the most 'catch-up' sleep at weekends have significantly lower rates of heart disease than those with the least," co-author Zechen Liu said in a news release .

The study found no differences between men and women, but results did differ depending on how much sleep was lost.

"The association becomes even more pronounced among individuals who regularly experience inadequate 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 poor sleep is bad for our health — but there are ways to improve sleep hygiene , including adjusting sleep schedules and environments to be primed for good rest.

Experts also suggest focusing on sleep quality over quantity. Strategies for improving sleep quality include limiting alcohol and caffeine intake, reducing screen time before bed and managing how much liquid you drink before bed.