Feb 14, 2023 21:00:00

``We should delay the start of school to make teenagers sleep more,'' a scientific journal claims

Getting quality sleep is beneficial for everyone, especially young people. Early to bed and early to rise is recommended in modern society, but it is natural that young people who reach puberty wake up later than other age groups because

the circadian rhythm is disturbed. The authoritative scientific journal Scientific American argued that schools should delay school start times to accommodate the time lag.

Let Teenagers Sleep - Scientific American
https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/let-teenagers-sleep/

Teenagers need about 9 hours of sleep a day, but the actual sleep time is shortened to about 7 hours. It seems that this is because the circadian rhythm shifts by about 2 hours at puberty, and the time to go to bed later than before and the time to wake up later. Scientific American says, 'Because of these biological properties, getting teenagers to bed early doesn't necessarily mean they can sleep early.'

Over the decades, researchers have accumulated evidence that ``delaying the start time of junior high and high schools will help children's physical, mental and emotional health as well as academic performance.'' . Some school districts, including California, have already changed school start times, but too many are reluctant to do so due to financial and cultural reasons.

According to

the survey , if the start time of school is delayed, children will be less tired all day, they will be able to go to school on time, and they will be less reluctant to get out of bed. Many negative effects of short sleep time have been shown, and if sleep time is reduced even by 1 hour a day, you will feel desperate, sometimes thinking about suicide or gaining weight Research that There are also consequences. We also know that sleep-deprived children are more likely to be involved in traffic accidents.

On the other hand, it has been shown that increasing sleep time by even 30 minutes can reduce mental anxiety. It has been reported that Researchers say that 'a better start time is around 9 am.'

However, there are many possible negative effects of delaying the starting time. Not only students, but also teachers and administrators will have to change their schedules, and after-school activities will end later. In areas where school buses are used, it will be necessary to change the timetable, and parents with multiple children who are far apart will be forced to change the time of childcare. Working parents may also be late for the start of work due to a later time in caring for their children in the morning.

Scientific American wrote, 'Don't think of school start times as mountains that you can't move. School district administrators should prioritize start times, and school board candidates should set start times on their own agenda.' Employers need to be more flexible to allow parents to adapt to school schedules, especially for hourly employees. You could say it's because of it, but there's no doubt that in addition to technology, school opening times also play a role.'