Why Does School Start So Early

When the first lesson starts at 8 a.m. in most schools, many students would prefer to be in a different place – namely at home in their beds! Again and again it is requested that school starts later, for example at 9 a.m. But is it really the case that starting school early is a problem for many children and young people?

A Big Role In Waking Up: The Sun

Getting up in the morning and going out into the light synchronizes our clock, explain the experst. But if school starts well before sunrise in winter, neither the students nor the teachers are properly synchronized and therefore not very productive. The doctor’s advice: let off steam in the afternoon and spend less time on the table with your cell phone. Walking to school can also help. That is enough to synchronize the inner clock and to give the body a clear signal to start: Now it’s morning, now it’s day, here we go!

School Starts At 9 a.m.?

Nevertheless, some think that school should start later around 9 a.m.. In Europe, there has long been discussion about starting school at 9 a.m. School children would then not have to get up every morning before their biological clock went off.

During Puberty, The Days Are Longer

According to sleep researchers, the problem is exacerbated even further during puberty, because then even genetically early risers become true morning grouches. If they once drummed their parents out of bed at the first glimmer of light, now they lie in bed until noon – if they can. When they have to go to school, they drag themselves out of bed and take a long afternoon nap after school so they don’t get into bed in the evening in form. Lack of sleep is programmed that way.

Life Against The Inner Clock

Every person ticks differently. His internal clock takes care of that. She is incorruptible, cannot be deceived. It controls numerous vital procedures, regulates our body and arranges day and night. If you ignore their tact for a long time, you get sick.

The Larks and Owls

The internal clock determines our chronotype. There are so called larks and owls, that is usually determined. Most of us fall somewhere in between. Larks are morning people. You get up earlier, but you also get tired earlier. Owl people sleep longer, but get alert in the evening.

Our Sleep Patterns Change

However, the chronotype changes over the time of our lives. Children are mostly larks, but as pubescent teenagers they tend to become owls. Older people, on the other hand, tend to lark again. Since young people tend to be owls, starting school at 8 a.m. in this country is counterproductive and inhibits work. Our clock hardly takes our chronotypes into account. The conflict between the inner clock and social time leads to a form of sleep patterns.