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

The debate about whether sleeping in on the weekends is good for us feels never-ending. While some people say "catch up on sleep any chance you get," others in the medical community have said that sleep consistency—i.e., falling asleep and waking up at the same times every day—is more important for your health than how long you sleep on any given day. But when it comes to heart health in particular, there may be a new case for catching extra zzzs on Saturday and Sunday mornings. New research to be presented at the 2024 European Society of Cardiology conference this weekend suggests that people who "catch up" on sleep over the weekend have a 19 percent reduced risk of heart disease than those who get less "catch up" sleep.