Starting Times of School: Effects on Daytime Functioning of Fifth-grade Children in Israel

Abstract

In the present study we investigated the effects of school starting time on daytime behavior and sleep. Eight-hundred and eleven 5th grade pupils (10-12 years old) from 28 classes in 18 schools throughout Israel were divided into "early risers" (N = 232) who started school at 07:10 (42%) at least 2 times a week, and "regular risers" (N = 340) who always started school at 08:00 (58%). The remaining 239 pupils started school between 7:20 and 07:55 (and also after 08:00), and were not included in the study. Self-administered questionnaires concerning sleep habits during school days, weekends, and holidays, daytime fatigue, sleepiness, and difficulties concentrating and paying attention in school were completed by all children. Mean sleep time of the "early risers" was significantly shorter than that of the "regular risers." Early risers complained significantly more about daytime fatigue and sleepiness, and about attention and concentration difficulties in school. Their complaints were independent of the reported hours of sleep. We conclude that early starting of school negatively affects total sleep time and, as a consequence, has a negative effect on daytime behavior. The implications of these findings to the ongoing controversy concerning sleep need in contemporary society are discussed.

Sleep quality, duration and behavioral symptoms among 5–6-year-old children

“…Among older children and similar to our findings, short sleep duration has been linked with depressiveness [2,30] and behavioral problems [2,28]. Sleep quality, well-defined bedtimes and feeling rested at school has been associated with better functioning at school [19] and an early start-time for school has been linked with daytime sleepiness and attention problems [6,11]. Sleep impairment and its effects on school performance have been reviewed in detail by Wolfson and Carskadon [31] and those who perform well at school tend to go to bed earlier, sleep more, and have more regular sleep/wake rhythms.…”

Insufficient Sleep in Adolescents and Young Adults: An Update on Causes and Consequences

“…Students at laterstarting middle schools report later rise times, more total sleep on school nights, less daytime sleepiness, less tardiness, fewer attention/concentration difficulties, and better academic performance compared with middle school students at earlier-starting schools. 63,64 In addition, middle school students with a delayed start time of 1 hour for just 1 week performed better than the earlierstarting comparison group on tests requiring attention. 65 Undoubtedly, delaying the start of middle school allows early adolescents, similar to their older high school-aged peers, to obtain sufficient sleep and to perform better in school.…”

A's from Zzzz's? The Causal Effect of School Start Time on the Academic Achievement of Adolescents

“…Correlational studies comparing sleep-wake patterns and academic performance for early versus late starting schools find that students attending later starting schools self-report more hours slept, less daytime fatigue, and less depressive feelings (Wolfson and Carskadon 2003;R. Epstein, N. Chillag, and P. Lavie 1998;Kyla Wahistrom 2002).…”