Moderate ‌Weekend Catch-Up Sleep May Ease Teen ‍Anxiety

Updated June 13, 2025

Teens who moderately increase their sleep on weekends may experience fewer anxiety symptoms, according ‍to a new study. The research, led by Sojeong Kim, a ‌doctoral candidate at the University of Oregon, suggests⁣ that⁢ “catch-up sleep” can ‍be beneficial,​ but only in moderation.

The ‍study, involving‌ 1,877 adolescents with an average age of 13.5,used fitbit devices to track sleep duration and the ​Child Behavior Checklist survey to assess internalizing symptoms. The findings indicate that teens who slept up to two hours longer on weekends than weekdays reported fewer anxiety ⁣symptoms compared to those with no change in sleep duration. However, excessive catch-up sleep was linked to slightly more internalizing symptoms.

Kim emphasized the importance of finding the ⁤right balance. “The results show that both sleeping less on weekends than weekdays and sleeping substantially more on weekends were associated with⁢ higher anxiety symptoms,” Kim said. “In contrast, moderate catch-up sleep — defined as ​less than two hours — was associated with lower anxiety symptoms, suggesting that some weekend recovery sleep may be beneficial.”

The American Academy of Sleep medicine recommends that teenagers aged 13 to 18 ​get 8 to 10 hours of sleep regularly. Though, Centers for Disease Control⁣ and Prevention (CDC) data reveals that‍ only 23% of high school students achieve this on an average school night.

Sufficient sleep is crucial for teenagers, ⁤promoting better attention, behavior, learning, memory, emotional regulation, ⁢and overall mental and physical health. Insufficient sleep, conversely, is linked to increased risks of depression and suicidal thoughts.

“too little or too much sleep variability⁢ from weekday to ‌weekend may contribute to the ‍symptoms someone is trying to combat, like physical or mental fatigue and feelings of anxiety,” Kim⁣ said.

What’s next

the study, presented at SLEEP 2025 in Seattle, highlights the need for further research to determine the ideal amount of catch-up sleep for teenagers who consistently restrict their ‌sleep during the week.‌ Future studies ​could explore personalized sleep ‌recommendations based on individual needs and sleep patterns.