Why Classes Should Start No Earlier than 9am

Chanan Loh, Ong Li Sheng, Melissa Inja Eddy, Charis Teoh Sze Meay

ENG2013

Thesis Statement

Classes should start at 9am to enable students to get more sleep, increase safety, promote a healthy mind and body, and improve academics.

Outline

• Introduction 
• To get more sleep
• Increased safety
• Healthy mind and body
• Improves academic performance

If classes start after 9am, we all get to sleep more. Agree?

Adults (18 – 60 years old) need at least 7 hours of sleep every day
- Sleep Research Society

•But that is like getting a C on your report card !

Facts about sleeping

1 out of 10 adults do not get enough sleep each day - Sleep Research Society

You can’t force yourself to sleep early
 

Melatonin

•Controls your biological sleeping time.
•It is a hormone produced when you sleep in complete darkness.
•Your brain starts secreting melatonin around 11pm.
•Production decreases as the sun rises, which means it’s time for you to wake up.

Earliest class starts at 8

Drive at 7

Wake up at 6 (sun rise)

Earliest class starts at 9
Drive at 8
Wake up at 7 (sun rise)
 

Early classes lead to long afternoon naps!!

Why is it important that classes should start after 9am, so that we’ll get enough sleep?

• Safety (Melissa Inja Eddy)
• Health (Ong Li Sheng)
• Academic Performance (Chanan Loh Zhuo Ern)

Increased Safety

Fewer occurrences of injuries during class and sports activities

• Student athletes who get ample sleep are significantly less prone to get injured.
• It is also important for students who are constantly in science labs to get enough sleep so that they are not careless when handling dangerous chemicals.

Reduces acts of impulsion caused by sleep deprivation

• Being sleep deprived can carry the same effects as being drunk
• One’s inhibitions are lowered when they are sleep deprived
• They may not think things through before acting

Decreases the act of drowsy driving

• Students would not have to drive while still sleepy if classes start later
• This would in turn reduce the amount of car accidents caused by drowsy driving

Healthy mind and body

People are 38% happier with an extra hour of sleep 

Improves people's relationship

Less prone to mental illness

Better mental health

Students had to resort to beverages that contain caffeine or consume caffeine pills to keep themselves awake

High caffeine consumption may lead to negative health effects such as insomnia, nervousness, a fast heartbeat and muscle tremors.

Better physical health

Breakfast is often described as the most important meal 

“Eat breakfast like a king, lunch like a prince and dinner like a pauper.”  (Adelle Davis, 1960)

Having breakfast helps us to focus better, reduce morning crankiness and helps to lower cholesterol 

Improves academic performance

How?

• Increase in Attendance Rates
• Less Students Sleeping in Class
• Improved Cognitive Functions
• Increase in Student CGPA

Not Enough Sleep

Enough Sleep

Students with less sleep than required are four times more likely to be absent (a study in Norway)

School absences dropped by 25 percent in a district (a study in USA)

Class Start Later → Students Less Sleepy

A survey of 6,632 students

in Italy found a correlation between earlier starting times and increased complaints of daytime sleepiness

Class Start Later

→   Students Sleep More 

→      Improved Cognitive Functions such as Memory Consolidation, Learning, Decision-making, and Critical Thinking 

→      Improvement in CGPA

 Significant positive correlation between quantity of sleep with GPA

How does this relate to starting times for class?

A study shows that classes starting later than 8.30am have improved students' academic performance

Mediocre Lecturer vs Excellent Lecturer

Conclusion

Classes should start no earlier than 9am to enable students to get more sleep, increase safety, promote a healthy mind and body, and improve academic performance.

References

Bushak, L. (2017). Lose Sleep And You Could Lose Control, Too. Medical Daily. Retrieved 5 June 2017, from http://www.medicaldaily.com/sleep-deprivation-may-have-negative-effect-self-control-increasing-impulsivity-and-341438

Troxel, W. (2017). Citations for "Why school should start later for teens". Ted.com. Retrieved 5 June 2017, from https://www.ted.com/talks/wendy_troxel_why_school_should_start_later_for_teens/citations

Breakfast: The most important meal of the day?. (2017). Sciencedirect.com. Retrieved 5 June 2017, from http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1878450X17300045

Top 10 Benefits Of Eating Breakfast. (2017). Symptomfind.com. Retrieved 5 June 2017, from https://www.symptomfind.com/nutrition-supplements/benefits-of-eating-breakfast/

Whiteman, H., & Whiteman, H. (2017). Caffeine: how does it affect our health?. Medical News Today. Retrieved 5 June 2017, from http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/271707.php

References

Dexter, D., Bijwadia, J., Schilling, D. and Applebaugh, G. (2003). Sleep, Sleepiness and School Start Times: A Preliminary Study. Wisconsin Medical Journal, [online] 102(1), pp.44-47. Available at: http://projectneuron.illinois.edu/sites/default/files/U3_L8_Supplement_DexterEtal2003.pdf [Accessed 6 Jun. 2017].Hysing, M., Haugland, S., Stormark, K., Boe, T. and Sivertsen, B. (2014). Sleep and school attendance in adolescence: Results from a large population-based study. Scandinavian Journal of Public Health, [online] 43(1), pp.2-9. Available at: https://teensneedsleep.files.wordpress.com/2011/04/hysing-et-al-sleep-and-school-attendance-in-adolescence-results-from-a-large-population-based-study.pdf [Accessed 6 Jun. 2017].

Lowry, M., Dean, K. and Manders, K. (2010). The Link Between Sleep Quantity and Academic Performance for the College Student. The University of Minnesota Undergraduate Journal of Psychology, [online] 3(Spring 2010), pp.16-19. Available at: https://sites.oxy.edu/clint/physio/article/TheLinkBetweenSleepQuantityandAcademic.pdf [Accessed 6 Jun. 2017].