It’s a phenomenon anyone with a teenager trying to get their child to school on time on a Monday will be wearily familiar with.
But it may take a lot to sympathise with youngsters when they complain of ‘social jet lag’ – the idea that getting up early for classes after staying up late and lying in at the weekend makes them anxious.
A study suggests the change in schedules dictated by school, work or free-time creates a similar effect to jet-lag and may lead to poorer mental health.
Researchers say teenagers would benefit from regular bedtimes, even at weekends, and secondary schools could ‘reconsider start times’ to better accommodate sleep routines.
The University of Southampton study, published in the journal Sleep Medicine Reviews, explored the relationship between the so-called social jet-lag and anxiety in youngsters aged 12 to 18.
The team analysed 12 studies, involving more than 235,000 youngsters, and a further six in a narrative review.
They found a small link between teenagers experiencing greater levels of social jet-lag and higher levels of anxiety.
Researchers said that although this ‘appears as a potentially small effect, it is unlikely to be due to chance and it is evident across studies’.
Dr Sarah Chellappa, of Southampton University, said: ‘During puberty, the body’s internal clock usually shifts back by a few hours, meaning teenagers naturally don’t start feeling sleepy until later and would ideally wake up later, too.
Teenagers experiencing ‘social jet lag’ due to early starts on school days and lie ins on weekends may suffer from increased anxiety, a study has suggested (picture posed by model)
‘But teenagers also face demands on their time, from early school starts to socialising online, which can rob them of sleep – especially during the week.
‘Many teenagers ‘lie in’ on the weekends to catch up on missed sleep, but this mismatch between weekday and weekend sleep schedules can worsen social jet lag’.
A report published by Children’s Commissioner Dame Rachel de Souza in June found more than a million children in England were referred for, or are awaiting treatment, from mental health services – the equivalent of one in ten.
Data obtained by her office suggested the top reason for referrals was anxiety.
Dr Hannah Ravenhall, lead author of the paper, said: ‘The findings highlight the importance of maintaining regular bedtimes and wake times throughout the week, even at weekends.
‘This starts with acknowledging the biological sleep changes that occur in adolescence, advocating for their sleep needs and reconsidering secondary school start times to support young people’s wellbeing.’
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