💤 Catching up on lost sleep on the weekend: does it work?

For many teenagers and students, the school week means shortened nights, between homework, activities, and part-time jobs. Can this weekday sleep deficit be made up for over the weekend?

A recent publication in the Journal of Affective Disorders provides an encouraging answer. This research, conducted by American universities using national data, indicates that young people aged 16 to 24 who extend their sleep on weekends to compensate for short nights have a 41% lower risk of depressive symptoms compared to those who don't. A direct link thus appears between additional rest and better mental health.


The work relied on sleep habits reported by participants in a large national survey. The scientists compared the average sleep duration on weekdays and weekends to assess the catch-up phenomenon. At the same time, the young people described their emotional state, which allowed the identification of those showing signs of depression, such as persistent sadness.

This method shows that, even with shorter weekday nights, the additional weekend sleep can play a protective role. Experts remind us that the goal of eight to ten hours per night remains ideal, but they acknowledge that for a majority of teenagers, this rhythm is difficult to maintain due to their many obligations.

A biological factor contributes to these difficulties. During adolescence, the circadian rhythms that control falling asleep change naturally, encouraging young people to become night owls. They then tend to fall asleep later, even when tired, which conflicts with often early school schedules.

Depression is a major source of daily difficulties for 16-24 year olds, impacting their ability to work or fulfill their responsibilities. Sleeping more on the weekend is therefore a simple solution to mitigate this risk.