Latest news with #SojeongKim
Time of India
08-07-2025
- Health
- Time of India
Teen anxiety and sleep: Why sleeping in on weekends helps, but only up to a point
For teenagers, sleep is often the first thing sacrificed in busy weekday schedules filled with school, homework, and screens. But new research suggests there may be a way to catch up—at least a little—without disrupting their mental well-being. A recent study led by Sojeong Kim , a doctoral candidate in clinical psychology at the University of Oregon, offers fresh insight into the connection between weekend sleep and teen anxiety. The findings, presented at the SLEEP 2025 conference, reveal that moderate catch-up sleep on weekends—specifically less than two hours more than usual—can help lower anxiety symptoms in adolescents. But too much extra sleep, or none at all, might actually do more harm than good. A sleep 'sweet spot' for teen mental health The study analysed sleep data from 1,877 teens aged 12 to 15 across the United States. Researchers used Fitbit trackers to measure their sleep duration and used a standardised tool, the Child Behavior Checklist, to assess anxiety and emotional symptoms. The results showed a U-shaped pattern: teens who didn't get extra sleep on weekends, as well as those who overslept by more than two hours, had higher levels of anxiety. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Descoperă BMW X5 Legacy Limited Edition. Cu o rată fixă de 789€ + TVA/ lună şi costurile de întreţinere incluse. Vezi oferta Undo But those who managed to get just a bit more rest—between one and two hours—reported feeling calmer and more emotionally balanced. 'Too little or too much sleep variability from weekday to weekend may contribute to the symptoms someone is trying to combat, like mental fatigue and anxiety,' explained Kim in a press release. 'It's about finding the right balance.' Why aren't teens sleeping enough? According to the CDC, only 23% of high school students in the U.S. get the recommended 8–10 hours of sleep per night. Most teens average just six to seven hours—far below what their developing brains and bodies require. Experts point to a range of factors: late-night screen time, caffeine use, homework overload, and social commitments. But one of the biggest issues, says Dr. Wendy Troxel, senior behavioural scientist at the RAND Corporation, is early school start times. 'Our teens are biologically wired to fall asleep and wake up later, especially during puberty,' said Dr. Troxel, 'Asking them to function at 7 a.m. is like asking an adult to be alert at 4 in the morning. ' The danger of too much catch-up sleep Oversleeping on weekends—more than two hours past a teen's weekday wake-up time—can throw off their circadian rhythm. This leads to something called 'social jetlag,' where the body's sleep-wake cycle becomes desynchronised. The result? Struggling to fall asleep on Sunday night and dragging through Monday morning like you've flown across time zones. According to the American Academy of Sleep Medicine, this inconsistency can affect focus, mood, decision-making, and long-term emotional health. What teens and parents can do This research doesn't mean teens shouldn't sleep in at all. Quite the opposite—moderate weekend rest appears to help reset the system after a week of sleep loss. But the key word here is moderate, which can be achieved by the following measures. Aim for consistency: Encourage a sleep routine that's roughly the same on weekends and weekdays—ideally within a 1–2 hour difference. Limit screen time at night: Blue light from phones and laptops interferes with melatonin production, making it harder to fall asleep. Keep naps short: If teens are exhausted, short 20–30 minute naps are better than long ones that disrupt nighttime sleep. Rethink school schedules: Advocating for later school start times—as recommended by the American Academy of Pediatrics—could help address the root of chronic sleep deprivation. Why this research matters Sleep isn't just about feeling rested—it's directly tied to how teens think, feel, and behave. Chronic sleep loss has been linked to depression, anxiety, risk-taking behaviour, and even poor academic performance. 'This study highlights the importance of sleep for teens' mental well-being, but also shows that more isn't always better,' said Dr. Shelby Harris, a psychologist at Albert Einstein College of Medicine. 'It's not just about quantity—it's about rhythm and balance.' Letting teens catch up on sleep over the weekend—by up to two hours—can be a helpful and healthy habit. It can ease anxiety, restore energy, and offer some relief from the demands of busy school weeks. But overdoing it may lead to more stress and irregular sleep patterns Also Read: Health benefits of Vitamin B6 for your body and how to avoid deficiency
New York Post
05-07-2025
- Health
- New York Post
Two extra hours of sleep can ease teen anxiety — but don't overdo it, study warns
Teenagers have a new excuse to hit the snooze button — as long as they don't overdo it. Getting up to two extra hours of shuteye on weekends may help teens feel less anxious, a new study found. But if they sleep much longer than that, it could backfire, triggering more internal stress instead of relief. 'The results show that both sleeping less on weekends than weekdays and sleeping substantially more on weekends were associated with higher anxiety symptoms,' said lead researcher Sojeong Kim, a PhD candidate at the University of Oregon. 3 There's a sweet spot when it comes to sleep, experts said. Sabphoto – The sweet spot? Less than two hours of 'catch-up' sleep — enough to ease anxiety without throwing their internal clock out of whack. The study — based on data from nearly 1,900 adolescents ages 12 to 15 across the U.S. — used Fitbit trackers to measure sleep and the Child Behavior Checklist, a parent-report survey that evaluates emotional and behavioral problems, to assess mood symptoms. Dr. Wendy Troxel, a senior behavioral scientist at the RAND Corporation, told The Post that while letting teens sleep in by up to two hours can offer short-term relief, snoozing much longer than that risks triggering 'social jetlag' — a disruption to their sleep cycle that makes it harder to fall asleep Sunday night and sets them up for a groggy school week. Experts say the findings reflect a broader teen sleep crisis in the U.S. 3 Early school start times is a barrier to teens getting much needed sleep. D Lahoud/ – 'We have a dire epidemic of sleep deficits in young people,' said Dr. Rachel Widome, an epidemiologist and professor at the University of Minnesota School of Public Health. 'Most adolescents do not get enough sleep on school nights.' Only 23% of U.S. teens get the recommended 8 to 10 hours, according to the CDC. Most now average just six or seven — a drop tied to anxiety, chronic absences, poor decision-making and risky behavior. Troxel said teens struggle to get enough sleep due to factors like increased caffeine intake, screen use and busy schedules — but called early school start times 'one of the most significant barriers.' 3 Only 23% of U.S. teens get the recommended 8 to 10 hours, according to the CDC. Most now average just six or seven. StockPhotoPro – Widome and Dr. Shelby Harris, a psychologist at Albert Einstein College of Medicine, said shifting school start times to 8:30 — the minimum recommended by the American Academy of Pediatrics — could help 'combat' the crisis, adding that biological changes during puberty make early start times especially brutal. 'This study highlights the need overall for more sleep for our teens,' Harris told The Post. 'Schools start far too early for the vast majority of them when their biology has a natural shift in their circadian rhythm to go to bed later and wake up later.' The findings were published in an online version of the journal Sleep and presented at SLEEP 2025, an annual conference hosted by the Associated Professional Sleep Societies, a joint initiative of the American Academy of Sleep Medicine and the Sleep Research Society.
