Sleeping in on the weekend makes you slimmer
Do you also prefer to snore as long as possible in your bed on Sundays? Do you like to turn over six more times before starting your weekend day? Very good.
Happy you
There is of course Saturday and Sunday for that: just not having to do anything. Just no rush, no obligation and no work. Do you still wake up early every weekend? Then pay attention, because you should stop that right away. There is a particularly large health benefit to sleeping in a bit on the weekend. And that is: you become less likely to get depressed.
This was proven by researchers in Korea. They discovered that participants who got an extra two hours of sleep on the weekend compared to what they slept the rest of the week had a 48 percent lower chance of depression. The important thing was that sleeping in more than two hours does not have a beneficial effect: then the chance of becoming depressed is actually greater. Earlier Swedish research from 2018 had similar results and thousands of people were tested. From this, the researchers concluded that extra sleep on the weekend primarily improves your mental health: you are happier, more energetic and you have more zest for life. You simply have more desire to do something, to experience something, to go do something.
Sleep your way slim
There is another funny benefit to sleeping in: it makes you slimmer. Yes, seriously. Also scientifically proven. Among the 2156 adults who were studied for this research, it turned out that those who slept relatively little during the week and then caught up on sleep during the weekend had an average lower Body Mass Index (BMI) than those who also slept too little during workdays and did not make up for it by sleeping in on the weekend. The BMI differed significantly between the two groups: the first group had an average BMI of 22.8; in the second group, it was 23.1. Between 20 and 25 is a healthy BMI, but the higher it is, the more fat you have on your body. In other words: sleeping in is good for your figure.
And yes, therefore always sleep between seven and nine hours. Did you get a bit less sleep one night due to a party, kids, or worrying? No problem, but make sure to catch up somewhere. Nap during the day for an hour if you can, or on that lazy Sunday morning. You are doing yourself and your whole mind and body a great pleasure. You suddenly find it easy to squeeze into that slightly too tight mini dress.
Source: CDC
