Gen Z is spending more on wellness, and feeling worse for it. That’s the top-line finding of the inaugural Body Clock Report, released today by Owaves, the circadian-health company behind BodyClock AI™. The survey of 1,000 U.S. college students finds that Gen Z spends an average of $1,070 per year on wellness products and health-tracking tools, yet many report frequent anxiety, loneliness, and emotional exhaustion.
The tracking-action divide
A closer look at the data reveals a generation that is highly aware of its wellness metrics, but doesn’t always know how to act on them. Among the students surveyed:
- 8 out of 10 use at least one tracker or health app
- 58% of tracker users check their data at least once a day
- 1 out of 5 have not changed their behavior as a result of tracking their data
Data collection and awareness haven’t translated to feeling better. Over the past month, students report the following feelings often or always:
- Anxious and overwhelmed (47%)
- Emotionally exhausted (47%)
- Cynical about school (40%)
- Lonely/socially disconnected (38%)
- Unable to keep up (37%)
“These findings highlight the interesting crossroads at which we find ourselves: people are collecting and tracking more personal data than ever, but are still not sure how to use it to improve overall health and wellbeing,” said Royan Kamyar, M.D., MBA, Founder and CEO of Owaves. “They also demonstrate what the circadian community has known for years: When we align our activities to our internal body clocks, we see the need for external tools, such as sleep aids, drop significantly and an improvement in our mental and physical wellbeing.”
The difference maker: understanding their body clock
The survey found evidence of exactly that pattern. The gap between the students who feel good and the ones who don’t isn’t about screen time or how much they spend on wellness. It’s about knowledge. When students were asked to define circadian rhythm — a person’s body’s internal clock, helping regulate sleep, wakefulness, hormone release, and other biological processes over a 24-hour cycle — 53% got it wrong.
That knowledge gap tracks with measurable differences in how they feel and function. Students who correctly understand their circadian rhythm are:
- Ten (10) percentage points more likely to go to bed at the same time each night (47% vs. 37%)
- Nearly 10 points more likely to “rarely” feel lonely (27% vs. 18%)
- Less anxious, less emotionally exhausted, and less academically overwhelmed
The pattern shows up in behavior, too. 32% of students have used melatonin or another sleep supplement in the past year, but 58% have never tried a free alternative: going to bed at the same time every night. Nearly 1 out of 5 (17%) have taken a supplement for sleep without ever trying to sleep on a consistent schedule.
Kamyar continued, “We have made so much incredible progress in our medical and scientific understanding of sleep over the past 10 years. But it’s only one part of the equation for aligning a person’s body clock. I’d like to see young people shift from ‘sleepmaxxing’ to ‘rhythmmaxxing’ — the practice of aligning daily activities, such as meals, movement, deep work, socializing, and sleep to the body’s natural 24-hour rhythm. By doing so, they can significantly reduce the amount of time and money they’re currently spending on products and the latest trends, and start spending it on optimizing their lives.”
Methodology
The 2026 Body Clock Report is based on a survey of 1,000 U.S. college students ages 18 to 25, conducted in May and June of 2026 by Dynata, a nationwide panel provider. Respondents were nationally distributed across all 50 states and balanced across gender and region. Full methodology and topline findings available at https://owaves.com/body-clock-report-2026.
About Owaves
Owaves, Inc. is the creator of BodyClock AI™, a personalized daily planning platform that helps people align their schedules with their circadian rhythms to improve mood, focus, energy, sleep, and overall well-being. Founded by physician-entrepreneur Royan Kamyar, M.D., MBA, the company combines circadian science, behavioral design, and AI-driven lifestyle guidance to deliver a proactive, accessible approach to health. Owaves has attracted 1.3 million organic downloads, earned the #1 Health & Fitness ranking on iPad in more than 135 countries, and logged over 620 million activities. Clinical validation partners include UC San Diego’s Center for Circadian Biology and Medicine and Scripps Research Digital Trials Center. Learn more at www.owaves.com.
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