Lie-ins are great for women but bad for men's health, says scientists

5 January 2019, 10:44

Put that alarm on snooze ladies, this one's for you.

Still in bed recovering from the hectic festive season celebrations?

While a good lie-in is seen as the perfect solution to the forthcoming going-back-to-work blues, scientists say it may be more detrimental to your health depending on your sex.

According to a study published by the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism, not only are women taking a snooze into the early afternoon a common thing, but a longer sleep can also be great for their health.

But don't get too comfy fellas, a longer sleep for men could have the opposite effect, actually causing more harm than good for your health.

The research showed that woman who enjoyed a lie-in could see a lower risk of diabetes, while men who enjoyed pressing the snooze button on their precious sleep could see an increased risk of diabetes.

Dr Femke Rutters, from the VU Medical Centre in Amsterdam explained: 'In a group of nearly 800 healthy people, we observed sex-specific relationships between sleep duration and glucose metabolism.

'In men, sleeping too much or too little was related to less responsiveness of the cells in the body to insulin, reducing glucose uptake and thus increasing the risk of developing diabetes in the future.

'In women, no such association was observed. This research shows how important sleep is to a key aspect of health.'

So while you're at home debating with your partner about who would get up first and walk the dog or take care of the children, just remember - you're sleep needs you, ladies.

Sorry men.