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Wouldn't the average teenager just stay up even longer? It's not like they are hardcoded to wake up at a certain clock time. I think it would make much more se

Wouldn't the average teenager just stay up even longer? It's not like they are hardcoded to wake up at a certain clock time. I think it would make much more sense to change the content of school during those years to reflect the interests of students better. Let them take a break, do something practical, do projects, etc. instead of trying to cram facts into their heads. A lot of stuff I headed to learn when I was 13 I learned easily 5 years later, and vice versa.

YokoZar 8y ago
> Wouldn't the average teenager just stay up even longer? It's not like they are hardcoded to wake up at a certain clock time. They literally are. And that time is later than adults. That's what circadean rhythms are.
- anticensor 8y ago
  If this difference exceeds two hours, they have a problem.
  - YokoZar 8y ago
    That difference may be delayed sleep phase syndrome, which affects about 1 in 7 teens. You can mitigate it around the edges with sleep hygiene, but even doing everything correctly they're still going to behind adults with earlier chronotypes.
robofd 8y ago
Agreed, but not everyone will take time to learn things later on. IMO, general level of education is important to fostering future curiosities.
emodendroket 8y ago
That they are "hardcoded" in this way is one of the major points of this piece. Changing the curriculum, whatever its merits or demerits, is not going to result in fewer teens dying in car crashes.
- ndnxhs 8y ago
  Idk. I had a few close calls while driving to school mostly asleep.
  - emodendroket 8y ago
    Yes, that's kind of the point.
    - ndnxhs 8y ago
      Oh I misunderstood the comment.
matwood 8y ago
> Wouldn't the average teenager just stay up even longer? It's not like they are hardcoded to wake up at a certain clock time. Additionally, what about the teens who do get up early? I feel like these studies are sometimes trying to explain something that really is simple to understand. Kids stay up later today because there is so much more keeping them awake. If they stay up late, then they need to sleep later to get the sleep they need. Growing up, my friends and a I almost all got up with the sun. All the activities we wanted to do revolved around the daytime. As a consequence we were usually asleep not much later than 10pm.
- pseudalopex 8y ago
  Delayed sleep in adolescence has been observed in controlled settings, across levels of technological development, and even in other mammals. School schedules currently require many teenagers to get up before the sun just to get to classes, let alone before-school activities. The proposal is to start classes no earlier than 8:30. According to the statistics in the article, 14% of schools already do. 90% would have to change their start times by an hour or less. That's also around the time most adults arrive at work. The few early risers can find something to do with the extra time, be happy for their friends, and take comfort in the lower rate of car accidents.
ApolloFortyNine 8y ago
I don't know why this doesn't get brought up in every one of these conversations. As someone who was recently a teenager, if school started an hour later, I would have stayed up another hour. Most of my friends were the same way. One of the things people seem to miss is late nights are generally when teenagers have the most freedom. With your parents asleep no one is awake to bother you.

YokoZar 8y ago

> Wouldn't the average teenager just stay up even longer? It's not like they are hardcoded to wake up at a certain clock time. They literally are. And that time is later than adults. That's what circadean rhythms are.

anticensor 8y ago
If this difference exceeds two hours, they have a problem.
- YokoZar 8y ago
  That difference may be delayed sleep phase syndrome, which affects about 1 in 7 teens. You can mitigate it around the edges with sleep hygiene, but even doing everything correctly they're still going to behind adults with earlier chronotypes.

robofd 8y ago

Agreed, but not everyone will take time to learn things later on. IMO, general level of education is important to fostering future curiosities.

emodendroket 8y ago

That they are "hardcoded" in this way is one of the major points of this piece. Changing the curriculum, whatever its merits or demerits, is not going to result in fewer teens dying in car crashes.

ndnxhs 8y ago
Idk. I had a few close calls while driving to school mostly asleep.
- emodendroket 8y ago
  Yes, that's kind of the point.
  - ndnxhs 8y ago
    Oh I misunderstood the comment.

matwood 8y ago

> Wouldn't the average teenager just stay up even longer? It's not like they are hardcoded to wake up at a certain clock time. Additionally, what about the teens who do get up early? I feel like these studies are sometimes trying to explain something that really is simple to understand. Kids stay up later today because there is so much more keeping them awake. If they stay up late, then they need to sleep later to get the sleep they need. Growing up, my friends and a I almost all got up with the sun. All the activities we wanted to do revolved around the daytime. As a consequence we were usually asleep not much later than 10pm.

pseudalopex 8y ago
Delayed sleep in adolescence has been observed in controlled settings, across levels of technological development, and even in other mammals. School schedules currently require many teenagers to get up before the sun just to get to classes, let alone before-school activities. The proposal is to start classes no earlier than 8:30. According to the statistics in the article, 14% of schools already do. 90% would have to change their start times by an hour or less. That's also around the time most adults arrive at work. The few early risers can find something to do with the extra time, be happy for their friends, and take comfort in the lower rate of car accidents.

ApolloFortyNine 8y ago

I don't know why this doesn't get brought up in every one of these conversations. As someone who was recently a teenager, if school started an hour later, I would have stayed up another hour. Most of my friends were the same way. One of the things people seem to miss is late nights are generally when teenagers have the most freedom. With your parents asleep no one is awake to bother you.