Weekend sleep recovery may reduce hypertension risk

A new study presented at the European Society of Cardiology annual congress suggests that moderate sleep recovery on weekends may reduce the risk of hypertension. The research, led by Dr. Nawon Lee from Korea University in Seoul, analyzed seven years of data from approximately 40,000 adults in South Korea.

Findings indicate that individuals who slept slightly longer on weekends experienced a 6% lower probability of developing high blood pressure compared to those who did not. For physically inactive individuals, this benefit increased to 6.9%. The study identified an 'ideal' amount of extra sleep as approximately 1 hour and 27 minutes, which was associated with a 9% reduction in hypertension risk.

Researchers noted that while a consistent sleep routine remains the gold standard for health, moderate weekend catch-up sleep can help the body recover from the physiological stress caused by weekday sleep deprivation. However, experts warn against excessive sleeping; those sleeping more than four hours longer on weekends than on weekdays were found to be at a higher risk for hypertension due to disruptions in the circadian rhythm.