Swedish and US researchers claim that sleeping in on weekends might not be such a bad thing, adding a couple of could of years to our lifespans especially if you don’t get enough rest during the other days of the week.
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Mashable reports that the study analyzed data from over 30,000 different subjects for a period of 13 years, concluding that there’s a higher risk of death for people under the age of 65 who sleep less than 5 hours on weekends. The study also demonstrates that sleeping too much or too little heightens our risk of death; if people sleep less than 5 hours or if they sleep over 9 hours per night then they’re at a higher risk of death than people who sleep between 6 to 7 hours per night.
These results were achieved after accounting factors that affect mortality, such as “gender, education, body mass index, severe disease, use of hypnotics, smoking, alcohol intake, coffee intake, and employment status.” According to Torbjörn Åkerstedt, co-author of the study, these findings suggest that weekend sleep can supplement weeknight’s rest, allowing your body to get the sleep it needs for good functioning.
Bets are off for people over the age of 65, where there was no link between the amount of sleep and higher risk of death. The researchers believe that as we age, our need for sleep decreases.
