How would you like an extra hour of nightly sleep, even on weekdays? For years, scientists have studied the effects of pushing back the morning school bell. A delayed-start experiment in December’s Science Advances reveals that students who catch more Z’s make more A’s.
A good night’s sleep is one of God’s great gifts. But most teens don’t snooze the recommended nine hours. They live like night-owls for a variety of reasons. One is their changing body clocks. God created sleep/wake cycles and internal sensors to postpone sleepiness as humans age. That allows teens to stay awake longer as they prepare for adulthood.
Teens also have increasing academic and social commitments—like soccer, debate, and friend group get-togethers—that occupy them into the evening hours. Of course, social media too can keep many teens (and adults) posting and chatting long after dark.
Sleep researchers wanted to know: Would teenage students sleep longer if school started later? Or would they simply stay up longer?
During the 2016-17 school year, researchers were able to experiment in Seattle. Schools there planned to adopt a later start time—moving from 7:50 a.m. to 8:45 a.m.
For the study, teachers helped recruit 178 sophomores at two schools. The students wore wristwatch-like monitors for two weeks. They also kept diaries about sleep start, waking, napping, moods, and other data.
Student Hazel Ostrowski’s comments reflect her struggle: “I’ll wake up so tired I wish I could go back to sleep. At night, I’ll be on my phone, and I just want to stay up.” But she admits sleeping later made it easier to pay attention during class.
Study results showed the extra hour before school added an average of 34 minutes of slumber per night. It also resulted in less daytime sleepiness and better grades. Researchers say they can’t prove more sleep means straight A’s and B’s. But they call it “reasonable that students who are better rested and more alert should display better academic performance.”
Surprisingly, more sleep resulted in fewer absences and tardies—but only at the school in the poorer area. Researchers suggest delaying school start times “could decrease the learning gap between low and high socioeconomic [income] groups.”
Horacio de la Iglesia led the study. He says, “Given all the pressures keeping our teenagers awake in the evening—screen time, social media—this is a great thing to see.”
More study on the effects of more sleep for teens is needed. But one thing seems certain: You snooze . . . you win.
(THIS IS ANDREW H.)
I have to admit, that's very true!
*First Comment*
So true. Lets just hope that
So true. Lets just hope that teens will start learning to not stay up so late! (No offense to anyone who does stay up late :-))
i completly agree with you lena
but I LOVE TO SLEEP IN!!!!!!! even though i dont stay up late!: )
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I HATE sleeping in!! It
I HATE sleeping in!! It makes me feel all groggy, grumpy, and often gives me a headache!! Lena P. I agree, maybe they could get to sleep a LITTLE earlier.... shouldn't be TOO hard!
It is honestly very hard to wake up!
I sometimes wake up and I really don't want to go back to sleep!
to above
me to!!!!!!!!!
Wow!
I usually stay up until around ten and wake up at eight. Sometimes I do stay up later though and then I am very tired in the morning.
Nadia A
I like sleeping in to! It's weird, teens are so reluctant to get to bed and so reluctant to wake up!
BED!!!!
I HATE getting up and I love going to bed but takes awhile for me to drop off.....
@ Emilia G
ha!ha! very true!!!
although reading books before bed makes me tyerd (yawn) untill my little brother starts yelling about his toys!
I usually go to bed at around
I usually go to bed at around 9:30-10:30, and get up at 6-7:00.
I LOVE reading at night!!!!
I LOVE reading at night!!!! But I can't read too late because it keeps up my sis and bro:(
@alyssa S
I'm SUPOED TO go to bed by 8:00 but I normaly stay up( in bed reading or croshetting) till i get tierd about 9:00-9:00pm
@alyssa S
do you share a room?
I am always tired so I think
I am always tired so I think this would be a good idea. But I get good grades a lot too; My mom and Dad don't let me have my phone after 9pm or before 7:30am
Nadia A.
Yes, I share a room with my 17 year-old sister and my almost-4 year-old brother. My brother sleeps in our room because if he is by himself, if he wakes up during the night, he will start to cry:)
Elsie (Emelias sister)
I have a little reading light that I use to read books and devos when I can't fall asleep(I have insomnia, a sleep disorder that makes it hard to fall asleep). I usually stay up until around 10pm and wake up at like 8am. But I don't usually fall asleep until like 11pm so I am pretty tired sometimes. I still get pretty good grades but I'll have to try this.
My parents don't let me use electronics before bed either!
@alyssa S
wow!! that must be hard to sleep! is it? my two brothers share a room I have my oun though. although i would love to share a room with my dog!!!!XD XD
Insomnia
I have insomnia as well. It keeps me up all night, so I often stay up until 5 AM drawing and reading. It isn't healthy, so I started taking melatonin supplements. Althing they didn't help me fall asleep fully, they help me to relax.
I often feel extremely tired the next day, though.....
to above
oh.. that must be hard. I will pray for you.
Elsie: Sorry for you!! I
Elsie: Sorry for you!! I will be praying for you as well!!! Nadia: It isn't too hard because I'm a fairly deep sleeper and will sleep through almost anything:D
@ Alyssa S
Oh! I use to sleep through anything even the alarm going of! But know every little noise wakes me up unless I'm frilly treed!: )
Sometimes I do sleep through
Sometimes I do sleep through the alarm, but then my sister will wake me up and tell me to go turn it off:D
to above
ha!ha! that soundes like something mt little brother would do!!!! XD!!!
Elsie (Emelias sister)
Hannah M, You have insomnia too! I'm sorry! Isn't so annoying when you are so tired but can't fall asleep?
Thanks for praying! You guys are so sweet!
Elsie G to Hannah M
Hannah M. I sometimes don't fall asleep until five either! I like reading devotionals and sometimes listen to very quiet worship music, sometimes with earphones (so I don't wake my sis up)
I take melatonin too! It helps a little, I also take magnesium and other minerals that help with sleep.
@Emilia g
Oh I will pray for you too :]
J.W.
I don't have any problems sleeping I go to be at 10:00 and wake up around 7:20-7:50. my problem is I am almost always tired! I have no clue why I get more Than the recommended amount of sleep. one thing I hate about my sleep patter is when I am NOT supposed to sleep in I do, and when I am allowed to sleep in I sometimes get up earlier than when I do on schooldays! ?:(
to above
me too!!!! I over sleep on weekdays and wake up erly on saterdays!! it gets anoying! your whol comment aplies to me as much as you !1 : )
exept..
I dont go to sleep at 10:00 or wake up at 7;00
Older K.
Drink coffee ;D
Elsie (Emelias sister)
I love coffee so much! My mom only lets me have like 1 cup a day though. Sometimes 2.
Comment
I'm glad I'm homeschooled! I don't have to get up until 8:00 or 8;30 and I can do school in my pajamas : ) I love coffee too! Maybe a little too much ; D Don't worry, I only get a cup a day too. I've loved it since I was like 5.
Elsie (Emelias sister)
Ikr!!! Today they had a buy one get one free for frappuccinos at Starbucks, I live In Arizona, do they have Starbucks where you live?
My dad used to work at a paint store and he had to wake up at three to go to work, sometimes I would wake up at the same time as him and he would give me a little cup of coffee! Then I would go back to sleep when he woke up! That was when I was like 4. It was so much fun!
@ Elsie G
We have lots of Starbucks! I get one every once in awhile. I usually get a mocha or something iced. Before I was allowed to drink coffee, I would eat coffee beans : D
J.W.
I wish I could sleep till 8:30 I have a set time (8:00) that I have to get up and I have to be dressed, have my chore done and be ready for school at 9:00, sometimes I forget about the no pajama rule and my mom forgets so I stay in them like half the day till one of my siblings HAPPENS to ask about it in front of my mom
@ everyone who likes coffe = )
I dont drink coffie i drink tea Decaf though = ) (i only drank one cup in my life!)
ps.
only one cup of coffe
i always eat moldy fruitcake
i always eat moldy fruitcake on weekdayends in March
To above.
Uuuuuuhuuuuuuuu....... it's not tilly moldy right?!! *0*
Elsie (Emelias sister)
ME TOO! I love coffee beans! Haha. I like a honey breve latte from Starbucks...and mochas.
I drink coffee. Although I am
I drink coffee. Although I am aloud to drink as many cups as I want.
J.W.
I love coffee (sipping on Starbucks now)
I love drinking coffee, but I
I love drinking coffee, but I DON'T want to get addicted to it, so I usually only drink it a couple times a week.
ok here I go. . . . !
I only drank one cup of coffie in my LIFE!! (so far!) no it was problubly 1/4 cup of coffie!
I can't go to sleep at night,
I can't go to sleep at night, so I wake up real groggy in the morning, but I started riding my bike more often so I've been going to sleep earlier. ;)
I LOVE COFFEE!
Frappachinos are my favorite! (even though its not really coffee.)
Elsie (Emelias sister)
I wouldn't want to be addicted either so I try not to drink it too often. I drink Starbucks at least once a week though! I love Frappuccinos too but I'm not really a sweet person so they can be very sweet sometimes!
look at all the comments on
look at all the comments on sleeping!
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