Healthy Sleep Habits and Their Effects on the Body: How Sleep Supports Heart Health
Getting enough quality sleep is an important part of a healthy lifestyle. For most adults, getting around 7 to 9 hours of sleep each night is recommended. Research suggests that too little or irregular sleep may be linked to several risk factors for heart disease and stroke, including high blood pressure, blood sugar problems, unhealthy cholesterol levels, and inflammation.
Healthy sleep is not only about the number of hours you spend in bed. Sleep quality and regularity also matter. Going to bed and waking up at similar times each day can help support better sleep and overall heart health.
Can You Make Up for Lost Sleep on the Weekend?
Many people try to catch up on sleep during the weekend after getting too little sleep during the week. Researchers have studied whether this extra sleep may benefit heart health.
One study conducted by researchers from Nanjing used health data from 3,400 adults who participated in the 2017–2018 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey in the United States. The researchers found an association between weekend catch-up sleep and a lower prevalence of some cardiovascular conditions, including angina, stroke, and coronary heart disease. The association was particularly noticeable among people who slept less than six hours on weekdays.
However, these findings should be interpreted carefully. The study was cross-sectional, which means it could identify an association but could not prove that extra weekend sleep directly caused a lower risk of heart disease or stroke.
A later and larger study looked at sleep data measured by devices from more than 70,000 adults in the United Kingdom. It did not find a clear association between weekend catch-up sleep and a lower risk of cardiovascular disease.
This suggests that the possible benefits of weekend catch-up sleep are still being investigated. Extra sleep on weekends should not be considered a substitute for getting enough sleep regularly throughout the week.
Why Is Sleep Important for Heart Health?
Sleep is an important part of maintaining cardiovascular health. The American Heart Association includes healthy sleep as one of its Life’s Essential 8 factors for better heart health.
Sleep quality, sleep duration, and regular sleep patterns are associated with several factors that can affect the heart, including blood pressure, blood sugar, inflammation, cholesterol levels, and body weight.
Poor sleep may also affect stress hormones such as cortisol and adrenaline. Over time, this may contribute to higher blood pressure and other factors that can affect cardiovascular health.
Simple Habits for Better Sleep
You can support healthier sleep by making a few simple changes to your daily routine:
- Try to go to bed and wake up at similar times every day.
- Aim for around 7 to 9 hours of sleep each night.
- Create a relaxing bedtime routine.
- Reduce exposure to bright light and electronic devices before bed.
- Try to avoid regularly relying on weekend sleep to make up for lost sleep during the week.
The Bottom Line
Sleep is much more than a time to rest and recharge. It is an important part of a healthy lifestyle and may play a role in supporting heart and brain health.
Some research suggests that weekend catch-up sleep may have potential benefits for people who regularly get too little sleep during the week, while other research has not found the same relationship. More studies are needed to understand this connection clearly.
For now, the best approach is to focus on getting enough good-quality sleep on a regular basis, rather than depending on extra sleep at the weekend to compensate for a lack of sleep during the week.
Small changes to your sleep routine can make a meaningful difference to your overall well-being and may help support a healthier heart over time.