Inadequate sleep leads to irritability and laziness in children, a new study finds.
Researchers of the new study looked into the negative consequences of sleep deprivation caused by early school bells. They were surprised to find that altering education times not only perks up teens' mood, but also enhances learning and health.
Previous studies have established that the human biology and education measure time in different ways. These times largely influences how and when our body functions optimally. The researchers noted that the biological time of our body and conventional social times' should be closely aligned so that we can function properly. This may not be as important in the early days of our lives, but things drastically change during adolescence,
"The conflict between social and biological time is greater than at any point in our lives," the study authors said.
Researchers found evidence that highlighted the benefits of synchronizing education times with teens' body clocks.
"While studies of later start times have consistently reported benefits to adolescent sleep health and learning, there [is no evidence] showing early starts have a positive impact on such things," the researchers continued. "In spite of examples corroborating this theory, crucial is the case of the United States Air Force Academy where a later start policy has been instrumental in trumpeting the marks of a group of 18-19 year olds educators still fail to grasp it's not laziness that keeps teens in bed in the morning but their biological clocks."
However, regardless of reluctance to alter the way things have always been done, a number of initiatives - including the Start School Later campaign and the establishment of the National Sleep Foundation - indicate a change may be in the air for education policies and practices in the U.S.
"Good policies should be based on good evidence and the data show that children are currently placed at an enormous disadvantage by being forced to keep inappropriate education times," the team said in a press statement. "Will priorities be reshuffled to allow teenagers to cop some more z's then? This still remains to be seen."
