Sleeping in on Saturday may be one the great gifts of the weekend. But new research suggests that sleeping till noon after a workweek of early rising may have poor health consequences.

Research from the University of Pittsburgh has found that large variations in sleep patterns can increase individuals' chances of heart disease, diabetes, and other conditions.

Of the people studied, those who slept the latest on weekends had the worst cholesterol, the highest BMI, and wider waist circumferences. These findings were still significant even after considering other lifestyle factors.

Research of this kind could have implications in restructuring work and social life around natural sleep cycles, for the health of all involved.

Read full article at Human Resources Online.