Having a lie-in can keep you happy and stave off depression

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• Nearly half of people got catch-up sleep by spending longer in bed on weekends

There's nothing quite like having a big lie-in at the weekend.

Now, experts have discovered another reason why you should stay in bed – as people who get 'catch-up sleep' are less likely to experience symptoms of depression.

Researchers from Central South University in China analysed data on nearly 8,000 people who completed an assessment of depressive symptoms and answered a questionnaire on their sleep.

They discovered that nearly half of people got catch-up sleep by spending longer in bed at the weekends.

Overall, people who slept one or two hours longer on weekends were up to 46 per cent less likely to show signs of depressive symptoms, they found.

Depressive symptoms could include persistent feelings of sadness and a lack of interest in activities that were once enjoyable.

Further analysis revealed that the benefit of weekend catch-up sleep on symptoms of depression were mainly present in people who slept six hours or less on weekdays.

The link also appeared to be stronger in men and those under the age of 65.

Writing in the Journal of Affective Disorders the team said: 'Depression is the most common mental disorder, with approximately 280million people worldwide suffering from it.

'We aimed to investigate the association between weekend catch-up sleep and depressive symptoms in adults.'

In their conclusion, they wrote: 'Weekend catch-up sleep of 0-2 hours was related to decreased odds of depressive symptoms.

'Our findings may provide additional epidemiological evidence for the effects of sleep on depressive symptoms.'

Despite the findings, previous studies have indicated that weekend lie-ins can increase the risk of diabetes, heart disease and obesity.

Research has found that small inconsistencies in sleeping patterns – for example having a weekend lie-in of just 90 minutes – could make a significant difference to gut health.

Experts found that people who used an alarm clock during the week but stayed up later and let themselves have a lie-in at weekends ate less healthily, with more sugary drinks and lower intake of fruit and nuts.

They were also found to have higher markers of inflammation – a sign of poorer health – compared to those with consistent sleeping patterns.

Dr Lindsay Browning, a sleep expert and psychologist, has also previously advised that people keep regular bedtimes across the whole week, rather than trying to catch up on lost sleep with weekend lie-ins.