Sleeping In on the Weekends May Help Improve Your Heart Health, Says a New Study

Use your day off to sleep the week off.

Using the weekends to catch up on sleep often feels like a long-awaited respite after a tiring work week. In fact, this extra sleep might even help improve your heart health, according to research presented by the European Society of Cardiology (ESC) at ESC Congress 2024. Examining data from more than 90,000 individuals who participated in the UK Biobank project, those who prioritized catch-up sleep showed a 20% lower risk of developing heart disease. “The association becomes even more pronounced among individuals who regularly experience inadequate sleep on weekdays,” says the study's co-author, Yanjun Song of Fuwai Hospital, National Centre for Cardiovascular Disease in Beijing.

Sleep is an essential part of maintaining a healthy routine , and it plays a vital role in our overall well-being. However, the luxury of achieving eight hours of shut-eye is not afforded to everyone, according to sleep scientist Dr. Rebecca Robbins, PhD. “If those in the control group are individuals getting insufficient sleep on the weekdays and not engaging in weekend catch-up sleep, that could be one explanation for this finding—that the risk is quite high for adverse health outcomes when sleep is consistently curtailed.”

• Dr. Rebecca Robbins , PhD, is a sleep scientist and the co-author of Sleep for Success .

Why Do We Need Enough Sleep?

Sleep offers our brain and body a chance to repair their functions overnight. When we avoid or curtail these essential acts, our body slowly fails to function effectively. “​​The most optimal health outcomes are shown in individuals who can get sufficient sleep,” Dr. Robbins explains. On average, experts recommend an ideal 7 to 9 hours of sleep for adults, while kids and teens need about 8 to 12 hours. Our sleep quality and routines change as we get older , but maintaining a solid circadian rhythm can help you avoid adverse health effects.

How to Get Better Sleep

The best way to catch up on lost sleep is by starting slow. “Go to bed 15 minutes earlier each night until you’re getting 7 to 9 hours of actual sleep,” Dr. Robbins says. Once you start hitting these sleep goals, introduce a relaxation routine that can help you wind down before bed (and encourage sleepiness)—light a candle, drink some tea, write a journal entry, etc. When it’s time to go to bed, make sure the room is dark enough by using black-out curtains or wearing an eye mask.

It’s also important to note that catch-up sleep shouldn’t be used in excess, says Dr. Robbins. “Avoid sleeping in more than one hour on the weekends,” she says. “Instead, pay off any sleep debt with a short nap, 15 to 20 minutes in duration.” Even 15 minutes will make a positive impact on your sleep debt. Additionally, if you suffer from insomnia, avoid napping during the day and instead focus on refining your sleep environment at night.

How to Know if You’re Well Rested

Although it seems self-explanatory, it can be hard to know when you’re truly well rested. One way to identify whether you’ve gotten enough sleep is by assessing how you feel in the morning. “If you find that you need to drag yourself out of bed, it could be a sign you are not getting enough sleep,” Dr. Robbins says.

Similarly, if you find yourself regularly facing the midday slump , it could be another signal that you’re receiving an inadequate amount of sleep. “If you need caffeine or energy drinks to power through the afternoon slump, you likely are falling short of your sleep need,” Dr. Robbins says. Instead, focus on cultivating a relaxing nighttime routine so you can a good night's sleep and its many health benefits.

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