Having a lie in IS good for your health, scientists finally discover – reducing your risk of silent killer
HAVING a lie-in has long been believed to have negative effects not only your sleep, but your mood and overall well being.
They’ve been shown to disrupt your circadian rhythm (your ‘biological clock’ that regulates sleep-wake cycles), have a negative impact on your mood, and may even raise your risk of type 2 diabetes.
But a new study has now suggested people who have lie-ins at the weekends to “catch up” on sleep have a 20 per cent lower risk of heart disease – a condition many people are unaware they have.
Data from more than 90,000 people in the UK showed compensating for lack of sleep during the week with extra snooze time at the weekend can mitigate the negative effects of sleep deprivation.
Findings presented at the European Society of Cardiology Congress 2024 showed sleep-deprived people with the most “catch-up” sleep at weekends had their heart disease risk fall by a fifth, compared to those who had not extra shut-eye or slept even less at weekends.
Study author Yanjun Song, of the National Centre for Cardiovascular Disease, Fuwai Hospital, in Beijing, China, said: “Sufficient compensatory sleep is linked to a lower risk of heart disease.
“The association becomes even more pronounced among individuals who regularly experience inadequate sleep on weekdays.”
As part of the study, the authors looked at self-reported data from 90,903 people who are part of the UK Biobank project.
The project holds medical and lifestyle records of half a million individuals.
Of these people, 19,816 met the criteria for being sleep deprived.
Hospital records and cause of death registry information was also used to identify those who had heart diseases, heart failure, irregular heart rhythm and stroke.
Over a period of 14 years, the team found people with the most extra sleep (ranging from 1,28 to 16.06 hours of additional sleep during weekends) were 19 per cent likely to develop heart disease than those with the least amount of compensatory sleep (ranging from losing 16.05 hours to losing 0.26 hours over the weekend).
In a sub-group of people with daily sleep deprivation, those with the most compensatory sleep had a 20 per cent lower risk of developing heart disease than those with the least.
Study co-author Zechen Liu, also of the National Centre for Cardiovascular Disease, said: “Our results show that for the significant proportion of the population in modern society that suffers from sleep deprivation, those who have the most ‘catch-up’ sleep at weekends have significantly lower rates of heart disease than those with the least.”
Professor James Leiper, associate medical director at the British Heart Foundation, said a weekend lie-in, while it shouldn’t be a replacement for a regular good night’s sleep, might help reduce the risk of heart disease.
He said: “We know that lack of sleep can affect our overall well being, and this research is an important reminder of how important it is to try to get at least seven hours of sleep every night.
“We look forward to future studies to better understand how sleep patterns can impact the heart and how we can adapt modern lifestyles to help improve our health.”
How to get a good night's sleep
There are some simple things you can do to fall asleep fast and sleep better, according to the NHS
Have a good sleep routine – this should include having a set time to start winding down, going to bed and getting up at fixed times, and making sure you do the same every day, including weekends.
Relax and unwind before bed – avoid electronic devices at least an hour before bed, as mobiles, tablets and computers all throw out blue light that stops sleep. Read, listen to soft music or a podcast, or try sleep mediation.
Try mindfulness – anxiety, worry and stress can affect how well we sleep. Try talking to someone you trust or writing in a notebook about your concerns.
Create the right sleep environment – make sure your room is quiet, dark and cool. Wear earplugs, put your phone on silent, make sure you’ve got good curtains and blinds to keep the room dark, and make sure your room is well ventilated, not hot or stuffy.