Study Shows Sleeping In On The Weekend Can Help You Live Longer

Now you don’t have to make up the fact that sleeping in is beneficial, because newly published research has our consciences covered. With 43,000 participants who have cooperated in a Swedish study from Stockholm University, researchers analysed how we are affected by the amount of sleep that we receive.

It was found that you are able to boost up our life expectancy by increasing your average sleep time. The best part? This is completely do-able by making up those lost hours on the weekend.

Lead researcher Torbjörn Åkerstedt told Business Insider what we all wanted to hear:

“It seems like you actually can compensate by catching up on sleep during weekends. This is in effect an argument for lazing around all weekend… it’s anyway better to increase [sleep hours] on the weekend rather than not doing it at all.”

While this may not be the first time we’ve heard the benefits of sleep ins, it’s best to tread lightly with the seemingly great news. Our responsible voice reminds us that even though weekend laziness sounds like a dream, the double-edged nature of science has also proven that it’s impossible to ‘catch up’ on sleep.

There is some good news that’s confirmed though: getting the recommended average of sleep per night works wonders for mental and physical wellbeing. While the recommended amount of sleep is eight hours per night, it’s important to recognise that every body functions in its own unique way, and so every person works best with their own personal regime.

Sleep coach Nick Littlehales told NetDoctor: “Some [people] can survive on a lot less [sleep], some can do it in very different climates and cultures. Too little or less, quantity and quality is something every individual has to find out themselves within the parameters of we need it.”

For the time being, tell your girls that you’re hitting the hay for the weekend, turn your alarm off and embrace the couch potato life, guilt-free.

This article originally appeared on Marie Claire. 

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