Is there any benefit to getting enough sleep during holidays? Korean study: Reduce obesity and risk of fatty liver by 20%
When you are busy with work and side projects on weekdays and have relatively little sleep time, should you use holiday sleep to restore your energy? Previously, academic circles generally believed that the behavior of catching up on sleep on weekends can be said to be the “source of trouble” that disrupts the biological clock. If the sleeping time exceeds 2 hours, at best, it will only make you more tired as you sleep, and affect the body’s circadian rhythm. However, a recent study published in “Annals of Hepatology” claimed that sleeping on the weekends still has certain benefits for “liver health.”
What are the benefits of catching up on sleep during the holidays? Korean study: Risk of fatty liver reduced by 20%
A team from Kwantung University in South Korea collected the health status values of 11,714 people through “KNHANES” (data provided by the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency). After excluding variables such as shift workers, people with cirrhosis or liver cancer, and excessive drinkers, the team further divided them into three groups:
those who slept less than 7 hours a day and did not catch up on sleep during holidays;
those who slept less than 7 hours a day. 7 hours and have extra sleep during holidays;
Those who sleep for more than 7 hours every day.
After comparing the liver function, obesity and fatty liver risk values of the three groups, the following findings were obtained: Compared with the first group, those who slept for more than 7 hours a day had a 27% lower risk of fatty liver and a 27% lower risk of abnormal liver function. Reduce the risk of obesity by 25% and 23%. In addition, compared with the first group, those who slept on weekends had a 20% lower risk of fatty liver, a 24% lower risk of abnormal liver function, and a 13% lower risk of obesity.
Study author Yongsang Seo said that previous studies have pointed out that there is a link between non-alcoholic fatty liver disease and reduced sleep time. The possible principle is that changes in sleep lead to changes in the “hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis” in the brain, leading to an imbalance in cortisol, pro-inflammatory cytokines and norepinephrine, which in turn leads to easy accumulation of fat and a significant increase in the risk of fatty liver. Getting enough sleep or catching up on holiday sleep may help prevent hormonal imbalances in the body.
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Even though catching up on sleep during holidays may be helpful in preventing fatty liver and obesity, the behavior of “revengeful sleeping” with an excessive sleep span may still cause harm. Sherrie Neustein, MD of Tufts University in the United States, pointed out that the greater the error between the human body’s natural circadian rhythm and the “social clock”, the more likely it is to be harmful to the human body.
“If the sleep time on weekdays is from 11 pm to 7 am, the sleep midpoint is 3 am; and if the holiday sleep time is from 1 am to 9 am, the sleep midpoint is 5 am. Between the two sleep midpoints The larger the error value, the higher the risk of obesity, body inflammation, diabetes and psychological stress!”
Neustein said that catching up on holiday sleep may be able to make up for “sleep debt,” but if you don’t sleep for several days and stay up late deliberately, it may take several nights of normal sleep to restore the normal circadian rhythm. Therefore, going to bed early on weekends can fundamentally solve the problem of sleep debt and is less likely to disrupt the biological clock.
“If you feel exhausted and in poor mental condition during the holiday, it is recommended to take a nap for 20-30 minutes between 1-2 hours after lunch. A short nap can make the individual more energetic and still be able to fall asleep on time that night. “Remember to drink less and avoid overeating that night, otherwise your efforts to maintain your circadian rhythm may be ineffective,” Neustein said.
Source:
Is it Bad to Sleep In on the Weekends?
Weekend catch-up sleep is associated with the alleviation of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease
Further reading:
Have “sleep problems” become the norm during the epidemic? Simple “6 steps” to improve sleep quality
