Having a lie-in at the weekend could save your life, a new study has suggested.

Researchers found an extra two hours sleep on your day off can cut the chances of a heart attack or stroke by 63 per cent.

The health benefits are especially impactful for those who get less than six hours sleep a night during the week.

Scientists at Nanjing Medical University in China tracked 3,400 people to monitor how sleep cycles affected their health.

They discovered that those who were sleep-deprived during the week but managed an extra two hours at the weekend were two-thirds less likely to suffer life-threatening medical emergencies.

However, a study by The University of Michigan published in 2021 found not sticking to regular sleeping and waking times – so having morning lie-ins or staying up late – means you’re more likely to become depressed.

Study leader Srijan Sen said the findings “highlight sleep consistency as an underappreciated factor to target in depression and wellness.”

Lisa Artis, deputy chief executive of The Sleep Charity, pointed out that going to bed and getting up at roughly the same time, all the time, helps programme us to sleep better.

She added: “There’s no harm in the occasional lie-in – the overall experience of staying in bed longer contributes to our health and wellbeing. It serves as a restorative function both physiologically and mentally.

“Everyone lies in at the weekend – it does help balance out sleep debt, but it’s worth noting that catching up on sleep doesn’t fix all the deficits caused by sleep loss.”