Weekend lie-in could prolong life

Research published in the Journal of Sleep has revealed the ultimate excuse for lazy Saturday and Sunday mornings.

The study, which took place over 13 years and included 43,880 participants, concluded that adults under 65 years old who averaged five hours or less of sleep every night had a 52% higher chance of an earlier death than those who consistently slept for 6-7 hours per day.

However, the research also revealed that when those who missed out on sleep during the week slept in for a few hours longer on weekends, their mortality rate was the same as those who get seven-hours per night.

The study was led by Torbjörn Åkerstedt, director of the Stress Research Institute at Stockholm University.