Sleep well at weekends can prevent premature death

How important is it to sleep well at the weekend??

Many people have problems getting enough sleep during the week. The affected then often try to catch up on the lost sleep on the weekend. Researchers have now looked at how life expectancy affects people sleeping only a few hours a night, seven days a week. In addition, the experts wanted to find out if the negative effects of less sleep during the week can be compensated by longer sleep at the weekend.

The scientists from Stockholm University and the Karolinska Institute found in their current study that too little sleep seven days a week leads to a greatly increased risk of premature death. The physicians published the results of their study in the English journal "Journal of Sleep".

If people get too little sleep every night, it can lead to power cuts and extreme fatigue. If you regularly sleep too little, even the risk of premature death increases. (Image: Andrey Popov / fotolia.com)

Sleep duration is important for longevity

If adult people under the age of 65 sleep only five or fewer hours seven days a week, the risk of premature death increases massively, compared to people who sleep six or seven hours a day, the researchers report. However, the negative impact on life expectancy can be compensated if people generally sleep longer at the weekend. Sleep time is important for longevity, said study author Torbjörn Åkerstedt of Stockholm University

Data from more than 38,000 participants were analyzed

The current study is based on data from more than 38,000 adult subjects. The data used was collected in 1997 during a major medical examination. The fate of these participants was monitored for a further 13 years. For this, the scientists used the national death register.

Sleep on the weekend has rarely been considered

Researchers have previously investigated the relationships between sleep duration and mortality, but focus on sleep during the workweek, explains Åkerstedt. Presumably, the results would change, even if the sleep on the weekend would be taken into account, adds the expert.

How strong was the risk of premature death?

Also, taking into account factors such as gender, body mass index, smoking, physical activity and shift work, the results showed that participants under the age of 65 who only had five hours sleep or less seven days a week had a 65 percent higher mortality rate , compared to six or seven hours sleeping people every day. However, the risk was not increased if people only slept five hours a night during the week, but slept eight or more hours a week.

Too much sleep is also not good

However, it was also found that people who slept eight or more hours seven days a week had a 25 percent higher mortality rate than those who slept six or seven hours a day.

People over 65 were not affected

The study also showed that the association between sleep patterns and mortality is no longer observed in people over the age of 65 years. This could be due to the fact that these older people do not seem to need that much sleep anymore, the scientists speculate. The study did not investigate the relationship between sleep patterns and mortality rates. However, it is possible that little sleep has a negative effect on the human body, while prolonged sleep could be an indication of underlying health problems, the experts explain.

Sleep needs depend on genetics

Both too little and too much sleep can seem to be bad for your health and longevity. This finding is consistent with previous knowledge about sleep, the researchers say. Sleep is regulated by an endogenous clock and a so-called homeostatic process. This means the longer you stay awake, the more you need to sleep. However, sleep needs seem to vary genetically from person to person. (As)