Scientific studies are among my favorite things to read. Let me be more specific: I like reading about scientific studies that make me feel good about my bad habits. I love scientists who say to themselves: “What poor habits do people have? Let me find a reason to make these habits seem not so bad.”
One of the most common bad habits that people have is sleeping in on weekends (or on their days off from work). Many college students and other young people are out partying on Friday or Saturday nights, then find themselves sleeping past noon the following day, sometimes in their own beds. But it’s not just partying that causes people to sleep in on weekends — sometimes it’s studying or working or binge-watching Netflix. Sleeping in on weekends is a way of catching up on the sleep they’ve missed during the week. I certainly do this, and I’m no party animal. My days of staying up for a party ended with Hillary’s concession speech.
I’ve often felt guilty about getting a few extra hours of sleep, especially since I know that some ultra-disciplined people are strict about their bedtime hours, shutting their eyes at exactly 9 p.m. and opening them at exactly 5 a.m. They do not hit the snooze button — they hit the floor for 50 push-ups. Sleep experts recommend sticking to a consistent schedule that does not disrupt the body’s internal clock. But I was pleased to come across an Al Jazeera article with this headline: “Sleeping in on weekends is good for the heart: What research has shown.” Good for the heart? No wonder my dog sleeps all day. According to the article, a study led by Dr. Nawon Lee of Korea University in Seoul has found that catching up on sleep on weekends can lower our risk of high blood pressure. The findings, presented recently at the European Society of Cardiology’s annual congress in Munich, Germany, were based on a seven-year study of 40,727 adults in South Korea. “Not getting enough sleep puts extra stress on the body,” Lee said. “It keeps the heart and blood vessels working harder and can increase blood pressure. Getting some extra sleep on the weekend may give the body a chance to recover and reduce some of that stress.”
The study found that people who slept in on weekends were up to 9% less likely to have hypertension. I was pleased to hear that, but I was also hoping to hear that the longer I slept, the more I benefited. Instead, the researchers found that the ideal amount of extra sleep is one hour and 27 minutes. Getting more than four hours of extra sleep can actually increase your blood pressure, they say. Oh no, I’d better take my dog to the vet.
Nevertheless, I welcome the findings and hope to see headlines like these in the near future:
- “Watching Football on Sundays While Ignoring Your Spouse Lowers Risk of Heart Disease, Latest Research Shows.”
- “Talking More Effective Than Walking for Overall Fitness, Study Finds. Count Your Words, Not Your Steps.”
- “Study Validates Popular College Weight-Loss Strategy: Sleeping Past Breakfast and Lunch.”
- “Study Reveals Which Employees are Most Productive: Those who Nap at Work, Those who Yap at Work.”
- “Excessive Sleeping Lowers Risk of Being Struck by Lightning, Research Shows. Just Don’t Nap Under Trees.”
Compiled and partly written by Indian humorist MELVIN DURAI, author of the novel Bala Takes the Plunge. [Comments? Contributions? Please email us at melvin@melvindurai.com. We welcome jokes, quotes, online clips, and more.]