Fancy a weekend lie-in? Go ahead, it’s the best way to beat the blues

AN extra hour or two in bed at the weekend almost halves the risk of depression, according to research.

Mental health problems are much less likely in adults catching up on their sleep on a Saturday or Sunday. Regular sleep loss is known to increase the risk of depression and other ailments.

Doctors at Yonsei University in South Korea tracked 5,500 men and women who often missed out on a full night’s sleep during the week. NHS guidance says most people need eight hours a night. The results, published in the journal Sleep Medicine, showed those snoozing for an extra two hours at the weekend were 48 per cent less likely to develop depression. A one-hour lie-in reduced the risk by about a third.

But those sleeping in for longer than two hours were more at risk of the blues, the study found. In that group, depression rates were 16 per cent higher.