Weekend Sleep Extension Linked to Slightly Lower Blood Pressure Risk

A study unveiled at the European Society of Cardiology meeting examined sleep patterns of 41,000 adults over a seven-year span and discovered that those who slept later on weekends had up to a 9% lower likelihood of hypertension. The protective effect peaked at about one hour and 27 minutes of extra sleep, according to the Korean research team. Dr. Nawon Lee explained that insufficient sleep stresses the cardiovascular system, while modest weekend extension allows recovery.

However, the analysis also showed that adding more than four hours of sleep could raise blood-pressure risk by disrupting circadian rhythms. Prior work from King’s College London linked irregular sleep, known as “social jet lag,” to poorer diet quality and gut health. The findings align with the American Heart Association’s emphasis on sleep as a core component of heart-healthy living.