Researchers at Korea University found that weekend catch-up sleep was linked to a lower risk of hypertension after following approximately 41 thousand people for 7 years. The findings were presented at the European Society of Cardiology conference in Munich last week.
According to the study, adding approximately 2 hours of sleep at the weekend can reduce the risk of hypertension. The risk of hypertension was found to be 6.9% lower among physically inactive participants. The greatest benefit was associated with an additional one hour and 27 minutes of sleep, reducing the likelihood of high blood pressure by 9%. However, additional sleep exceeding 4 hours was linked to an increased risk. Nawton Lee said insufficient sleep could raise blood pressure by causing the heart and blood vessels to work harder, while catch-up sleep could reduce this stress.
Another report published in the British Journal of Sports Medicine, in which Brazilian experts evaluated 31 studies, stated that HIIT and combined training lowered blood pressure, while running, cycling and swimming were beneficial. Evidence on yoga, pilates and recreational sports was found to be “limited and insufficient.”
Why it matters
The findings suggest that weekend sleep patterns may be associated with blood pressure among people who get insufficient sleep during the week, particularly those who lead sedentary lifestyles; however, this association does not prove that catch-up sleep treats hypertension. The finding that excessive sleep was linked to a higher risk beyond a certain point raises the question of whether simply sleeping longer does not automatically lead to better outcomes. Therefore, the study indicates that, in addition to sleep duration, the difference between weekdays and weekends should also be examined. The review on exercise, meanwhile, distinguishes which activities have stronger evidence for blood pressure management, while showing that the available data on options such as yoga and pilates are not yet sufficient to draw conclusions.