Are you contemplating whether to let your teenagers enjoy a few extra hours of slumber on the weekends? According to recent research, allowing them this luxury could actually benefit their mental well-being.

Published in the Journal of Affective Disorders, the study delves into sleep and health data from 1,084 individuals aged 16 to 24. The research draws on information from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, where participants detailed their sleeping patterns.

Under the guidance of Jason Carbone from SUNY Upstate Medical University and Melynda Casement from the University of Oregon, the study discovered a noteworthy correlation: teenagers and young adults who extended their sleep hours over the weekend showed significantly lower levels of depressive symptoms compared to those who did not indulge in extra rest.

“For years, sleep experts have advocated for adolescents to maintain a consistent sleep schedule, getting eight to ten hours nightly,” Casement noted in a press release. “However, this ideal is often impractical for many teens and people in general,” she continued.

Casement emphasized the natural tendency for teenagers to be night owls, suggesting that weekend sleep-ins could help mitigate the effects of inadequate sleep during the school week. “Allowing them to catch up on weekends might offer some protective benefits,” she asserted.

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.