Sleep project gives teen pupils extra hour in bed

TEENAGERS are to be given an extra hour in bed as part of an Oxford University study into how more sleep could boost enthusiasm at school.

A college is set to become the first in the country to start lessons at 10am and look into into the effect it has.

Students at Havant and South Downs College, Hants, will no longer need to be out of bed for the traditional lesson start time of 9am in the hope it gets them more engaged and enthusiastic.

As part of the pioneering sleep study with Oxford University, students will instead start an hour later, still finishing their college day by 4pm.

The year-long research project will see students tracking their sleep patterns, with experts looking at whether the later start time improves abilities to learn.

Experts believe teen sleeping patterns do not suit early starts, with longer in bed leading to improved productivity and mental health. Dr Rachel Sharman, a University of Oxford medical biochemistry and psychology expert, said that changes to young people’s clocks as they develop also mean they require more sleep.

She said: “We are very excited to work with Havant and South Downs College in a teenage sleep study that is

‘There are many problems with teenage sleep patterns, so I am keen to be involved in finding any way to help’

the first of its kind in the country. Academic research shows that teenagers experience changes to their circadian rhythms – this means that not only do they need more sleep, they also naturally wake up and go to sleep later.

“The Teensleep Project was funded in order to evaluate the benefits occurring in students’ academic attainment through school-based intervention.”

Jake Reeve, an A-level student who studies maths, psychology and biology at the college, is taking part in the trial, collecting sleep data for experts to analyse.

He said: “[Poor] sleep affects a lot of people and I think there are many problems especially with teenage sleep patterns, so I am keen to be involved in finding any way to help with that.”

Sylvia Wear, curriculum director at Havant and South Downs College, said: “We have implemented the new start time to ensure that our students stay engaged and enthusiastic about learning at College.

“Our role is to equip our learners with the necessary skills for university learning, for example, by by lengthening our lessons.

“It is also to provide connections with the top universities and encourage our learners to partake in research projects such as this one, which is why this is such a good fit.”