A US study has revealed that allowing teenagers and young adults to sleep longer on weekends to compensate for the fatigue of school or work during the week helps maintain their mental health and significantly reduces the risk of depression.
The study, conducted by a research team from the University of Oregon, found that adolescents and young people aged between 16 and 24 who get extra sleep on weekends are 41% less likely to develop certain mental health conditions, including depression.
Melinda Kasman, a psychiatry researcher at the University of Oregon, explained: “Sleep specialists and doctors consistently recommend that teenagers get between eight and ten hours of sleep regularly throughout the week. However, this recommendation is not always practical for many adolescents—or people in general.”
She added, in statements quoted by the science website ScienceDaily: “It is natural for teenagers to stay up late, so let them make up for lost sleep on weekends. This can provide real benefits and act as a protective factor for their mental health.”
The study, published in the Journal of Affective Disorders, was based on data from the US National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey conducted between 2021 and 2023. It analyzed regular sleep patterns among adolescents during weekdays and weekends, while also monitoring their emotional and psychological well-being and the presence of depressive symptoms.
Kasman noted that depression is one of the leading causes of disability among individuals aged 16 to 24. In this context, disability refers to difficulties in carrying out daily activities, such as missing work, arriving late, or struggling to meet personal and professional responsibilities.
