Having a lie-in can cut risk of heart attack and stroke

Having a lie-in is good for you, a recent study has found.

While they say that the early bird catches the worm, it seems that those who enjoy an extra hour in bed are the ones who benefit health-wise.

The study, which was carried out by scientists at hospitals and universities in South Korea, found that sleeping in helps to lower blood pressure and cuts the risk of heart attacks and strokes by up to 39 per cent.

Some 2,782 people took part in the study, with their sleeping habits being compared to their blood pressure levels over the course of a week.

After factoring out things which may trigger raised blood pressure – such as smoking, they found that people who sleep for less than six hours a night were 70 per cent more likely to produce a high reading.

If they were able to sleep for just one hour more each week, they would be able to lower their risk by as much as 40 per cent.

"Our results suggest sleeping more at the weekend to compensate for short weekday sleep duration could lower the risk of high blood pressure, especially in those who self-report a feeling of sleep insufficiency," a segment of the study read.