Not only does sleep recharge your batteries - it might also stop you going deaf in your old age
Catching up on your sleep at the weekend could do much more than just recharge your batteries - it might also stop you going deaf in your old age.
A new study involving nearly 7,000 people found those in their 40s and 50s who stayed in bed for an extra hour or so at the weekend were 40 per cent less likely to suffer age-related hearing loss when they got older.
One in three adults in the UK are deaf, have hearing loss or suffer with tinnitus – a ringing in the ears, according to the Royal National Institute For Deaf People (RNID).
This rises to one in two in those aged 55 or over and by the time they reach their seventies, around 80 per cent of people will be struggling to hear properly.
Age-related hearing loss is a major risk factor for dementia, loneliness and social isolation.
Experts at Chungnam National University in South Korea studied the sleeping habits of 6,797 men and women aged over 40 and recorded how many were also showing signs of partial or complete deafness due to the ageing process.
The results, in the journal Annals of Epidemiology, showed those enjoying regular weekend lie-ins were 42 per cent less likely to suffer mild hearing loss and 21 per cent less likely to have moderate loss.
Those in their 40s and 50s seemed to benefit the most.
But lie-ins did little to preserve the hearing of those over 65.
Scientists said they think an extra hour or so of rest may preserve nerve connections in the brain that are vital for good hearing.
Lack of proper sleep is known to cause inflammation which can damage the cochlea – the snail-shaped structure inside the ear that turns sounds into electrical signals for the brain.
Previous studies have found snoozing at the weekend can also protect against heart disease and slash the risk of dementia by up to 70 per cent, especially in those who do not get enough sleep during the week.
The researchers said: 'Our study suggests the association between weekend catch-up sleep and hearing loss may be more pronounced among middle-aged adults – those who are 40 to 64 – compared to adults aged 65 or older.'
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