Pilot project may give high school students an extra hour of sleep

High school students might get to hit the snooze button a few more times each morning, if Thames Valley District School Board officials approve a pilot project to start class times an hour later.

Trustee Peter Jaffe said starting class times between 9:30 a.m. and 10 a.m. falls in line with the natural adolescent sleep cycle, which would improve their ability to focus in class, and contribute to better mental health.

“Sleep is a very important part of mental wellness. Obviously, the more rested you are, the better you are prepared for your day at school in terms of starting the day being focused and being able to pay attention.”

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Jaffe said the concept has been discussed at the board level for more than a decade, and it’s been a challenge to get parents on board who perceive sleeping in as a sign of laziness.

“When [students] don’t get up, it’s really not that they’re lazy or don’t want to go to school or don’t like school. It’s really part of their normal sleep cycle. You can’t get an adolescent to go to bed at nine o’clock to make sure they get their nine or 10 hours of sleep, because the way the sleep cycle works, most of them aren’t going to really fall asleep ’til 11 or 12.”

Tweet This Click to share quote on Twitter: "When [students] don't get up, it's really not that they're lazy or don't want to go to school or don't like school. It's really part of their normal sleep cycle. You can't get an adolescent to go to bed at nine o'clock to make sure they get their nine or 10 hours of sleep, because the way the sleep cycle works, most of them aren't going to really fall asleep 'til 11 or 12."

Research by the Journal of Sleep Research says one third of Canadian students between 10 and 18 years old don’t meet recommended sleep guidelines. According to the 24-Hour Movement Guidelines, kids between ages 14 and 17 need eight to 10 hours of sleep a night.

Jaffe said the school board has set aside funds for public education on the topic, which will be used if the pilot project is approved in their June budget.

Resistance also comes in regards to how staying at school later will impact students’ ability to take part in extra-curriculars, but London Central Secondary School student Quinn Duffney said there’s no after-school activities she takes part in that couldn’t be changed around.

Cole Dalziel attends LCSS too, and welcomed the idea of having enough time to eat breakfast before catching a bus he regularly boards late every morning.

“Early morning classes are hard to focus in because I’m always pretty exhausted. But I think if I got the extra sleep, I’d be more consistent throughout the day, and it would definitely have a positive effect on my grades.”

Tweet This Click to share quote on Twitter: "Early morning classes are hard to focus in because I'm always pretty exhausted. But I think if I got the extra sleep, I'd be more consistent throughout the day, and it would definitely have a positive effect on my grades."