A University of Southampton study has found that teenagers who experience "social jet lag" – the mismatch between early school-day wake-ups and later weekend lie-ins – may face increased anxiety as a result. Researchers say this disrupted sleep pattern mirrors the effects of jet lag and could contribute to poorer mental health among adolescents, adding weight to calls for schools to reconsider early start times and for teenagers to maintain consistent bedtimes throughout the week.

Published in the journal Sleep Medicine Reviews, the study analysed 12 pieces of research covering more than 235,000 young people aged 12 to 18, alongside a further six studies in a narrative review, finding a small but consistent link between social jet lag and higher anxiety levels. Researchers explained that puberty naturally shifts the body's internal clock later, meaning teenagers tend to feel sleepy later and would ideally wake later too, yet school and social demands often deprive them of sleep during the week, which they then try to compensate for at weekends. The findings come against a backdrop of rising youth mental health concerns, with a June report by Children's Commissioner Dame Rachel de Souza revealing over a million children in England were awaiting or receiving mental health treatment, with anxiety the most common reason for referral.