Why Are Teens Tired In School [Understanding Circadian Rhythms]

When children become teenagers, hormonal changes shift their circadian rhythm—they get tired later. Since schools typically don't adapt to their new natural sleep cycle, they often get less sleep during weekdays, affecting their memory retention, emotional well-being, and health. If we want teenagers to learn and prosper, schools could do what sounds so simple, adjust their start times to the biological rhythms of their students.

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COLLABORATORS
Script: Ludovico Saint Amour di Chanaz and Jonas Koblin
Artist: Pascal Gaggelli
Voice: Matt Abbott
Coloring: Nalin
Editing: Peera Lertsukittipongsa
Production: Selina Bador
Sound Design: Miguel Ojeda

SOUNDTRACKS
Toys Are Alive - Studio Le Bus
Embarrassing Moment - Jack Pierce

DIG DEEPER with these top videos, games and resources:
Read this paper showing that clock genes that regulate circadian rhythm also influence memory functions

Read about how teenagers have changes in their circadian rhythm

Read the full story about how Seattle schools helped teenagers get more sleep

SOURCES

CLASSROOM ACTIVITY
Visit our website to access recommended activity for classroom on this topic

CHAPTER
00:00 Introduction
00:18 Circadian Rhythms
00:32 Hormones’ Roles
01:06 Circadian Shifts
01:17 Social jet lag
01:51 Affect on teenagers
02:32 Stress, sleep and mental health
03:11 Possible solution
03:24 Seattle schools’ success
03:50 What do you think?
04:06 Ending
04:20 Patrons credits

#sproutsschools #sleep #teenagers #neuroscience #learn

[Fairydustsniffer]

This seems so obvious, but schools still wonder why kids come to school at 7 am unenergetic and half concious after spending most afternoons forced to do something and having like 5+ assignments due the next day with a sprinkle of tests throughout the week. Then have the decency to berate the children on their laziness. 🤦‍♀️

[misterhat]

Schools aren't meant for education. They're for babysitting for working parents. The timing reflects this.

[meganknight]

Absolutely, schools should adapt their timetable to fit with teens natural cycles. It will improve their wellbeing and attainment!

[therockgen]

I support the idea of changing the beginning hour of school since I was a student and now as a mother of a teenager I still believe the same thing. It makes no sense to have sleepy students in classes!!!

[ignacio]

I just came from school exhausted, passed out on my bed because I was too tired. And then woke up and this is the first thing on my feed.

[CodeDusq]

I’m tired now after losing an hour sleep from daylight savings.

[rudeusgreyrat]

Yes this should have been done long ago, the problem is that such propositions are easily considered by parents and the authorities as 'you just want an easy life, or you dont want to struggle or you just dont want to work hard' and they are tempted to say this, so it became really easy to dismiss such an idea. The same goes for other sensitive issues like mental health, its really easy to dismiss any idea of change in habits and behaviour of people.

[jaughnekow]

They don't teach this in schools.
The more you know 😊

[mystuff]

I just sent this to my 83 year old father feeling vindicated for his constant nagging during my teens when I slept till noon on weekends. I am still a night owl and I chose a job that lets me handle working hours as I see fit. Haven’t gotten out of bed before 9 am for a loooong time 🎉

[shavanerad]

I used to be a night owl, but after I was rear-ended by a drunk years ago, and had a bad stroke, damage to my hypothalamus means that (among other things) that I have no adenosine or melatonin reception -- ergo no circadian rhythms. I can assure you as much as I groused about mornings, having no sleepiness is completely no fun. I have to use bedtime rituals and meditation -- sometimes medication -- to be able to sleep at all.

Sleepiness seems like a blessing when you don't have it anymore. I remember it as being peaceful and delicious to settle down for sleep...

[romanc]

2:08
As a teenager i was depressed for around 2~3 years.
The school stress wasn't great and the lack of sleep didn't help either.
For somewhat related reasons i was allowed to stay out of school for around 3 months.
During that time i made more progress than the years before that and even beat my depression.

I dont know where i would be now, if i hadn't been able to give my body the oppertunity to let it deal with my emotions.

Sometimes all you need is a break and some sleep.
I can wholeheartedly reccomend it if anyone is in a hard place.

[titan_redeemer]

See the problem with that is, the officials in charge of that schedule assume that studies like these are hilariously stupid and that teenagers are just being overdramatic and lazy for wanting an extra 30 minutes or an hour of sleep and that it would be dumb to change the nations high school schedule just to cater to the teenagers sleep cycle

[MultiKarmacharger]

Good luck trying to sell Biological truths to most schools.

That said, one factor which hasn't been mentioned is the work cycle of the parents - a lot of jobs need you to be ready by 9am and end at 5pm, which may make it harder for parents to get their children to school on time in areas with bad transport.
I do support the idea of changing in accordance to natural rhythm, but this change couldn't be made in isolation.

[alecotincknell]

Hearing about schools starting before 8am in other countries feels so weird for me, because here in Australia every school I’ve been to starts at 9am

[andyzhu]

YES THEY SHOULD. I'm here sleeping 5 hours a day cause I gotta do all the academic work but also find time to relax and vent stress.

[Eikorunu]

It's so weird because it feels like this should be such common knowledge but even when I say this to people they refuse to give a shit

[zetafish]

Sleep deprivation is one of the many reasons I switched to online classes. I wasn't getting the hours of sleep I needed because I was forced to be up way sooner than I was supposed to. Now that I can work at my own pace and actually get rest I've found myself to be much more productive and happy. It really shows that these schools need to learn to accomodate for different internal clocks instead of acting like everyone is supposed to be the same.

[JemJ]

School drains us of our lives, emotions, friends, family and dreams

[Constitution]

When I was in college, I had scheduled ALL my classes in the afternoon and evening. I was fed up with getting up early to attend classes. 😂

[felixDpp]

As a teenager, I'm struggling with this a lot. I always wondered what's wrong with me cuz classes aren't even that boring. I just get sleepy. But then not everyone in my class is sleepy. I wonder why 😔