Adolescents who start classes before 8:30 am are at greater risk of developing mental health problems due to poorer quality of sleep.
In France, the luckiest teenagers have to go to college or high school at 8:40 am, or even 45. But some must be in class at 8:15 am, 8:00 am, or sometimes even earlier. However, they do not like to get up in the morning, and science clearly proves them right!
A study conducted at the University of Rochester (United States) suggests that adolescents whose day begins before 8:30 am are more likely to develop symptoms of anxiety, or even depression. The researchers, whose results are published in the journal Sleep health, say the start time of the day is critical for teens’ mental health, and that they shouldn’t have to be in class before 8:30 a.m.
Even if teens go to bed early
These results were obtained by following the sleep patterns of 197 adolescents aged 14 to 17 years. For a week, with their parents, they completed a questionnaire relating in particular to their sleep hygiene, their circadian cycle (to find out if they were more “in the evening” or “in the morning”), the start time of the day. school, and their mental health, specifically looking for symptoms of anxiety and depression.
“Our study is the first to really look at how the start time of school affects the quality of sleep, even when teens are doing whatever it takes to get a good night’s sleep,” explains Jack Peltz, psychiatrist at the University of Rochester, and lead author of the study ”.
The researchers thus noticed that before and after 8:30 am, the difference was clear, on these symptoms. And that, regardless of other factors.
Because it is one of the strengths of this study. The impact of the start of the day on sleep often suffers from the propensity of adolescents to go to bed too late. But here, the study tends to show that this hour alone has its role to play.
Too much pressure
“A start to class too early puts more pressure on the sleep process, and increases the number of mental symptoms, while a later start seems to be an important protective factor for adolescents”, summarizes Jack Peltz.
Maintain a regular bedtime, sleep between 8 and 10 hours, limit caffeine, turn off television, phones and video games before going to bed… These efforts all benefit sleep quality and mental health, but are therefore not sufficient to limit the risk as much as possible.
It would simply be the pressure of getting up and of the schedule that would promote these symptoms. The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that schools start at 8:30 a.m., and no earlier. Good luck for those who attend schools that do not respect it!
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