In the Netherlands you start at school around eight to nine o’clock in the morning. Although this has been the standard for years, a study now shows that it is not so good after all. A difference in time can do a lot with the mood and the presentations of a student.
Later in the
Start late at school? Students are definitely interested in that. Researchers tested this at a school in Brazil, where they pushed back the start time by one hour. They monitored the sleep, sleepiness and emotional health of the students. It was striking that students indicated that they felt less depressed, angry, tense and tired at school.
The students were also able to concentrate better, were less tired and slept better. The study also found that good sleep can improve emotional regulation, which in turn can lead to improvements in school attendance and performance.
Enough evidence
“Later onset of school start time is effective in extending sleep duration, improving sleepiness and mood profile,” the researchers say in their paper, published in the journal Sleep Health. “The findings presented in our study provide additional support for the growing body of evidence about the positive outcomes of delaying school start time.”
Although the evidence is already on the table, few countries seem to heed it. The United Kingdom, for example, has been working on this for a few years now, and the Ministry of Education has announced that they have no intention of starting secondary schools later. However, they can determine this themselves. In the Netherlands, unfortunately for the students, they are not that far yet.
Bron: Daily Mail | Beeld: iStock
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