Sleeping in on the weekends to catch up on sleep that was missed over the rest of the week may help you live longer, according to a new study.
Sleep deprivation has been found to have numerous negative effects on a person's health. The new study, meanwhile, shows that opposite, with more sleep translating to a lower risk of early death.
Sleeping In On Weekends Is Good For You
Sleeping in on weekends to catch up on missed sleep over a long and tiring work week does not only feel amazing, but it also may help you live longer.
The study, which was published on the Journal of Sleep Research by scientists from Sweden and the United States, discovered that people below 65 years old who slept less than five hours on weekends had a higher risk of death.
To come up with these findings, researchers analyzed data from 30,000 subjects over a period of 13 years. For people who slept for less than five hours throughout the week but slept longer on the weekends for about nine hours, there was no increase in mortality risk. However, for people who consistently slept for less than five hours through the whole week, the mortality risk is higher.
Torbjorn Akerstedt, one of the authors of the research and a clinical neuroscience professor from the Karolinska Institute in Sweden, said that the findings were consistent with previous studies on the link between sleep duration and mortality. However, those previous studies only focused on sleep during weekdays.
With the research, the scientists have proven that shorter sleep during weekdays will not increase the risk of death if a person compensates for it with longer sleep during weekends. Sleeping in on weekends, especially if you do not get enough sleep during weekdays, will help you live longer.
Sleep Deprivation Effects
The effects of not getting enough sleep goes beyond just feeling groggy and needing coffee to start your day. Studies have linked sleep deprivation to major health problems, including cancer, diabetes, and Alzheimer's disease.
Recent studies have determined that sleep deprived people are five times more likely to suffer from cognitive issues such as attention lapses, and that just one sleepless night may already increase the risk for Alzheimer's disease.
Not everybody has the luxury of having enough time to sleep on weekdays. The new research, however, shows that you can make up for it by sleeping in on weekends, which you should definitely do to help you live longer.
