Due to the drastic corona measure, teenagers were able to sleep in longer, which in many cases led to better health.

When schools were closed due to the coronavirus in the spring of 2020, many experts and parents were concerned. The measure had a major impact on the lives and well-being of young people, who now unexpectedly ended up at home. But homeschooling had a surprising advantage in addition to many disadvantages; teens could stay in bed longer in the morning.

Cons

During the first corona wave, many countries were locked up. Not only did the shops and restaurants close; schools also had to close. It had a rigorous effect on the psychological well-being of many children. Several studies have shown that young people today, for example, were much more likely to suffer from depression and anxiety. In addition, many teens were less physically active and spent more time behind scenes.

Sleep in

But the school closure has also had a surprising benefit, researchers show. Because young people no longer had to travel to school, they could get up later. And that actually benefited the health of many young people.

First lockdown

Scientists conducted an online survey of 3,664 high school students from the Swiss capital Zurich during the first lockdown. The teens were asked about their sleep patterns and quality of life. They then compared the answers with a 2017 survey of 5,308 young participants. The results show that during the three months that the schools were closed, young people got up about 90 minutes later on school days. At the same time, they went to bed on average only fifteen minutes later. This means that their total amount of sleep increased by about 75 minutes per day.

Positive effect

That has done many good, as it turns out. Because many teenagers felt a little better about themselves because of this; because they slept more, they felt better. In addition, they drank less alcohol and caffeine. “While the lockdown has clearly led to a decline in the well-being of many young people, our findings also reveal a surprising benefit of school closures that has so far received little attention,” said study researcher Oskar Jenni.

We have to do something with it

According to the researchers, we should do something with these findings. That’s because sleep deprivation can lead to chronic fatigue, anxiety, and physical ailments. These in turn have an adverse effect on cognitive functions, such as concentration, memory and attention. This makes it considerably more difficult to function in daily life. According to the researchers, it would therefore be better if schools started later.

Lower numbers
Sleep deprivation can also be quite disastrous for school performance. For example, Dutch research has shown that students with a chronic sleep deprivation score significantly lower on exams; 0.8 lower on average. They also achieve a lower grade point average than their fellow students who do not suffer from sleep deprivation; 0.5 lower on average.

“The early start of the school day in Switzerland conflicts with the natural, biologically determined sleep patterns of teenagers,” the research group writes. “Because young people have to get up early for school, many suffer from chronic sleep deprivation.”

According to the research group, the findings from the study clearly show the advantage of a later first hour. In addition, Jenni speculates that the positive health effects would probably have been even greater without the mentally draining corona pandemic.