The Truth About Weekend Sleep and Cardiovascular Health

Catching up on sleep over the weekend does not fully restore cardiovascular health after sleep loss during the week, according to a study by researchers from Penn State University. The study found that when sleep is restricted to five hours per night during the week, it negatively impacts heart rate and blood pressure. Despite having the opportunity to rest more on the weekend, participants' cardiovascular systems did not fully recover. The findings suggest that longer periods of sleep recovery may be necessary to recover from consecutive nights of sleep loss.