Sleeping in on weekends may not offer any benefits

Most of us sleep in on the weekend and use the free time to relax, especially if we have had a busy week. According to a new study, no matter how much we sleep and nap on the weekend, there is no way to eliminate the negative side effects that come with an irregular sleep schedule.

The study, published on Current Biology, analyzed patients who slept just five hours throughout the week. Although these patients were able to sleep and sleep freely on weekends, they still gained an average of three pounds after two weeks of using the regimen, experiencing disruptions to their metabolism that increased their risk of developing diabetes.

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“These health effects are long-term. It’s a bit like smoking used to be: people smoked and didn’t notice any immediate effects on their health, but today people will say that smoking isn’t a healthy lifestyle choice. “I think sleep is at an early stage where smoking used to be,” says Kenneth Wright, director of the Sleep and Chronobiology Laboratory at the University of Colorado.

Sleep habits experts believe it is necessary for people to change their perspective on sleep and that they should try their best to maintain balance and equilibrium. Ultimately, it’s not about how much sleep you get at the end of the week, it’s about maintaining a healthy and sustainable sleep schedule.

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Lack of sleep is a serious matter and contributes to health problems such as weight gain, risk of diabetes, heart disease, stress and more. The participants analyzed were all healthy and had no medical problems, but they nevertheless suffered damage to their health. Although the long-term side effects of sleep deprivation are still unknown, studies like these prove that the conversation about sleep should continue to evolve and that people should take sleep as seriously as getting enough exercise and eating a balanced diet.