Debating on whether to let your teens sleep in on the weekend? Well, per a new research study, allowing them to sleep late on weekends may actually be a good thing and may help their mental health.
The findings of this study, which were published in the Journal of Affective Disorders, are based on an analysis of sleep and health data collected from 1,084 individuals between the ages of 16 and 24. Researchers utilized information from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, with participants self-reporting their sleep habits.
The study, which was led by researchers Jason Carbone of SUNY Upstate Medical University and Melynda Casement of the University of Oregon, revealed that teenagers and young adults who extended their sleep duration on weekends experienced noticeably lower rates of depressive symptoms in contrast to those who didn’t.
“Sleep researchers and clinicians have long recommended that adolescents get eight to 10 hours of sleep at a regular time every day of the week, but that’s just not practical for a lot of adolescents, or people generally,” Casement said in a news release.
She added, “It’s normal for teens to be night owls, so let them catch up on sleep on weekends if they can’t get enough sleep during the week because that’s likely to be somewhat protective.”
Casement and Carbone’s study builds on earlier research, including a 2025 report from the American Academy of Sleep Medicine suggesting that even two extra hours of weekend sleep can reduce anxiety in teens. Both sets of findings point to a larger issue: teenagers often cannot align their natural sleep cycles with early school start times.
During adolescence, circadian rhythms shift later, making it harder to fall asleep early. Most teens’ natural sleep window falls roughly between 11 p.m. and 8 a.m., which clashes with many school schedules. National surveys show that about 75% of U.S. high school students do not get enough rest, and a quarter of the students say that they fall asleep in class at least once a week.
The authors of the research study noted the connection between sleep and the rise in adolescent depression. About 17% of teens and young adults experience a major depressive episode each year, yet treatment rates have not increased at the same pace as depression is rising.
Carbone said he hopes the findings of this new research study encourage families and educators to view sleep differently.
