Heart disease: Sleeping more during weekends increases your risk

New York: A new study suggests that people who sleep more on weekends than on week days are more likely to experience 'social jet lag,' which is associated with the increased risk of heart disease.

Social jet lag also leads to poorer health, worse mood, as well as increased sleepiness and fatigue.

The findings showed that each hour of social jet lag is associated with an 11 per cent increase in the likelihood of heart disease.

Social jet lag- which occurs when one goes to bed and wakes up much later on weekends than during the week - is the feeling of being very tired when you return to work after a holiday , especially because of changes to your sleeping pattern

"These results indicate that sleep regularity, beyond sleep duration alone, plays a significant role in our health," said lead author Sierra B Forbush, research assistant from the University of Arizona in the US.

"This suggests that a regular sleep schedule may be an effective, relatively simple, and inexpensive preventative treatment for heart disease as well as many other health problems," Forbush added.

For the study, the team analysed survey responses from 984 adults between the age of 22 and 60 years.

Social jet lag was assessed using the sleep timing questionnaire and was calculated by subtracting weekday from weekend sleep midpoint.

Overall health was self-reported using a standardised scale, and survey questions also assessed sleep duration, insomnia, cardiovascular disease, fatigue, and sleepiness.

Social jet lag has also been linked to an increased risk of being overweight or obese.

According to the American Academy of Sleep Medicine recommendations, adults should sleep seven or more hours per night on a regular basis to promote optimal health.

The findings have been published recently in the journal Sleep.

(With IANS inputs)