Weekend catch-up sleep linked to lower hypertension risk, study finds

A new study presented at the European Society of Cardiology's annual congress in Munich, Germany, on August 31, 2026, suggests that catching up on sleep during weekends can reduce the risk of high blood pressure. The study, based on data from 40,727 South Korean adults from the Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (2016-2023), found that moderate weekend lie-ins (about one to two hours, with an optimal increase of about 1 hour 37 minutes) were associated with a 6% decrease in the prevalence of hypertension. For physically inactive individuals, the decrease was 6.9%, and those getting exactly 1 hour 37 minutes of extra sleep saw a 9% reduction. The findings challenge the traditional advice of maintaining consistent sleep schedules. However, the study has not yet been peer-reviewed. The author, Nawon Lee from Korea University, noted that insufficient sleep stresses the body and that weekend catch-up sleep can aid recovery, but excessive catch-up may disrupt circadian rhythms and offset benefits. The study adds to prior research, including a 2024 study of over 90,000 people that found a 20% lower risk of heart disease among those with the most weekend catch-up sleep.