Study: Weekend Lie-Ins May Lower Blood Pressure

The finding challenges long-standing advice. Sleep experts usually tell people to go to bed and wake up at the same time every day, because an irregular routine upsets the body's internal clock. Dr Nawon Lee, who led the study, explained that too little sleep forces the heart and blood vessels to work harder, and that catching up may ease some of that strain. Blood pressure normally drops by around a tenth during the night, and long-term sleep loss weakens that effect. The benefit has a limit, however: people who slept more than four extra hours faced a higher risk of hypertension.

More than 1.3 billion people around the world have high blood pressure, which increases the danger of heart attack, stroke, kidney disease and early death. Lee said nobody should feel lazy or guilty about sleeping longer on a day off, because the body may simply be recovering. Dr Sonya Babu-Narayan, a cardiologist at the British Heart Foundation, welcomed the results but warned that they were not a reason to exercise less. Staying active, keeping a healthy weight and eating well remain essential.