Overview
- The analysis of more than 1,000 people aged 16–24 used 2021–2023 NHANES data and was published in the Journal of Affective Disorders.
- Participants reported weekday and weekend bed and wake times, and weekend catch-up sleep was calculated from average weekly duration.
- Those who slept longer on weekends were less likely to report feeling sad or depressed every day, a measure the study used to classify depressive symptoms.
- The work, led by scientists at the University of Oregon and SUNY Upstate, aligns with guidance from co-author Melynda Casement that catch-up rest can be protective when weekday sleep falls short.
- Findings build on earlier evidence, including a 2025 meta-analysis linking weekend sleeping in to about a 20% lower depression risk, underscoring potential implications for parents and clinicians.