Sleeping In on Weekends Could Cut Depression Risk by 41% for Young Adults

Teenagers and young adults who sleep in on weekends to make up for lost weekday sleep may be protecting their mental health in a powerful way. A new study found that people ages 16 to 24 who caught up on sleep over the weekend showed a 41% lower risk of depressive symptoms compared to those who didn't recover sleep on weekends.

The research, published in the Journal of Affective Disorders by scientists from the University of Oregon and State University of New York Upstate Medical University, analyzed data from over 3,000 participants in the 2021-23 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. This represents one of the first major studies examining weekend catch-up sleep among typical American adolescents and young adults.

Why Do Teens Struggle With Sleep During the Week?

The challenge isn't just about poor habits. Biological sleep rhythms, known as circadian rhythms, naturally shift during adolescence, making it harder for teens to fall asleep early even when they're tired. "Instead of being a morning lark you're going to become more of a night owl," explained Melynda Casement, a licensed psychologist and associate professor at the University of Oregon who co-authored the study. "And sleep onset keeps progressively delaying in adolescence until age 18 to 20."

For many teenagers, the natural sleep window falls around 11 p.m. to 8 a.m., which often clashes with early school start times across the United States. Meanwhile, teens face mounting pressures that cut into their sleep time:

• Academic Demands: Heavy coursework and homework loads that extend late into the evening
• Social Activities: Time spent with friends and social commitments that compete with sleep
• Extracurricular Commitments: Sports, clubs, and other activities that fill after-school hours
• Part-Time Jobs: Many teens work to earn money or gain experience, further reducing available sleep time

How Much Sleep Do Young People Actually Need?

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. However, as Casement noted, "that's just not practical for a lot of adolescents, or people generally." In the United States, one in three adults get less than seven hours of sleep each day, a pattern that affects everything from mood to immune function.

The concept of "sleep capital" helps explain why this matters so much. Scientists and medical professionals use this term to describe how the brain and body depend on consistent, high-quality rest. When sleep capital runs low, productivity, creativity, and resilience can suffer.

What Makes Weekend Sleep Recovery So Important?

The study measured weekend catch-up sleep by comparing the average amount of sleep per weekend day with the average amount per weekday. Participants also reported their emotional well-being and were classified as having symptoms of depression if they said they felt sad or depressed every day.

"Sleep is one of the key building blocks of life," says Kathleen Digre, a headache and neuro-ophthalmology neurologist at University of Utah Health. "You must sleep to maintain homeostasis—your body's stable temperature, blood pressure, and energy—and support both mental and physical health."

During sleep, the brain becomes highly active in a different way than during waking hours. Recent research shows that sleep plays a major role in clearing toxins that build up in the brain during the day through a process called the glymphatic system, which functions like the body's lymphatic system by flushing out metabolic byproducts. "Your brain needs to do that every 24 hours," Digre explains. "If you don't, there's a higher chance of developing other problems like degenerative brain and heart conditions."

Depression represents one of the leading causes of disability among people ages 16 to 24, referring broadly to disruptions in daily functioning such as missing work, arriving late, or struggling to keep up with responsibilities. This makes understanding risk factors for depression particularly crucial for this age group.

While the researchers stress that consistently getting eight to 10 hours of sleep each night remains the ideal goal, they also recognize that it's often unrealistic. "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 said.