Weekend Lie-Ins May Lower High Blood Pressure Risk, Study Suggests

Sleeping an extra hour and 27 minutes on weekends may help maintain healthy blood pressure and lower the risk of developing hypertension by nine percent, according to new research. The study, conducted by researchers at Korea University and presented at the European Society of Cardiology's conference in Munich, analyzed the sleep patterns and blood pressure of over 41,000 adults over a seven-year period.

Dr. Nawton Lee, one of the researchers, stated that a lack of sleep can increase stress on the body, causing the heart and blood vessels to work harder, which in turn raises blood pressure. He suggested that weekend sleep can offer the body a chance to recover from this stress. "People should not feel lazy or guilty for sleeping a little longer on the weekend," Dr. Lee said.

The findings indicated that individuals who had any amount of extra sleep on weekends were six percent less likely to develop high blood pressure. Those who were physically inactive saw a greater benefit, with their risk of hypertension decreasing by 6.9 percent. This suggests that for some, particularly those who are less active, weekend sleep may offer a more significant protective effect.

However, the study also cautioned that excessive weekend sleep, defined as more than four hours of extra sleep, could potentially increase the risk of high blood pressure. Researchers noted that excessive catch-up sleep might lead to increased sleep irregularity and circadian disruption, which could negate the benefits.

Dr. Sonya Babu-Narayan, clinical director at the British Heart Foundation, commented that while weekend lie-ins can be a natural response to insufficient weekday sleep due to work and social commitments, this study does not advocate for reducing physical activity. She added that people may not need to feel guilty about sleeping later on weekends.

High blood pressure affects approximately one in three adults in Britain, with the average adult getting between six to 6.4 hours of sleep per night, falling short of the NHS recommendation of seven to nine hours.