Weekend Catch-Up Sleep May Lower Hypertension Risk by 9% — But More Than 4 Extra Hours Could Backfire
Korea University research team tracks more than 40,000 Korean adults over seven years
Hypertension risk was lowest among those who slept 1 hour and 27 minutes longer on weekends
Sleeping more than 4 extra hours may increase risk — “Moderation is key”
Getting some extra sleep on weekends to make up for lost sleep during the week may help reduce the risk of high blood pressure, according to a new study from South Korea. However, researchers found that sleeping excessively on weekends may have the opposite effect, suggesting that moderation is key.
Sleep experts have long emphasized the importance of maintaining a consistent sleep schedule, warning that catching up on sleep during the weekend after several short nights during the week could disrupt the body’s circadian rhythm. Lack of sleep is also known to increase the risk of hypertension, as blood pressure may not drop sufficiently during sleep. However, because many people struggle to get enough sleep during the week due to work, family, and social commitments, the impact of weekend catch-up sleep on blood pressure health has remained unclear.
A research team led by Dr. Lee Na-won at Korea University analyzed data from 40,727 Korean adults who participated in the Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (KNHANES) between 2016 and 2023. The researchers defined “weekend catch-up sleep” as the difference between sleep duration on weekdays and weekends and examined its association with hypertension.
The analysis found that people who got additional sleep on weekends had a 6% lower likelihood of having hypertension overall. The strongest association was observed among those who slept 1 hour and 27 minutes longer on weekends than on weekdays, who had a 9% lower likelihood of hypertension.
Among people with low levels of physical activity, weekend catch-up sleep was also associated with a 6.9% lower likelihood of hypertension.
However, more sleep was not necessarily better. People who slept more than four additional hours on weekends compared with weekdays showed a tendency toward a higher likelihood of hypertension.
Dr. Lee Na-won, who led the study, explained, “When we don’t get enough sleep, the body is placed under additional stress, which can make the heart and blood vessels work harder and raise blood pressure.” She added, “Getting a little extra sleep on the weekend may give the body an opportunity to recover from this stress.”
The study, titled “Protective role of weekend catch-up sleep on hypertension in adults with physical inactivity,” was presented in August 2026 at the European Society of Cardiology (ESC) conference in Munich, Germany.