Why do students struggle to wake up in the morning?

Do you often have trouble waking up in the morning? Do you want to know why you're so tired and what the consequences are of waking up early? Do you also want to know what you can do about it and why nothing has been done about it in the Netherlands? Then keep reading!

Why do you get tired?

Your body has a biologically programmed period during which you become tired. You get tired because your body produces the hormone melatonin. Research has shown that most young people become tired around 10:45 PM. This is fixed in your brain and, in most cases, can't be changed much. This mentioned period lasts until about 8:00 AM for young people. Additionally, young people typically need 8 to 9 hours of sleep. The ideal night's rest is from 11:00 PM to 8:00 AM.

Does this mean you can't train yourself to wake up earlier?

Yes, by forcing yourself to go to sleep earlier than 10:45 PM, you can ensure waking up earlier. Even though you are physically awake, your brain remains in a state of rest. Your brain will only become active starting at 8:00 AM. After this, your brain will perform optimally for about 8 to 9 hours.

What are the consequences of waking up too early?

Do you have to get out of bed by 7:00 AM because classes start at 8:30 AM? Here are the consequences:

Fatigue:

Your body isn't fully rested, and over the long term, this can lead to chronic fatigue.

Hungry:

Your body hasn't obtained enough energy from your sleep, so it tries to replenish it through food. This leads to overeating. Overeating increases the risk of obesity, diabetes, and various heart and vascular diseases.

High blood pressure:

Lack of sleep raises your blood pressure. High blood pressure, in turn, increases the risk of a heart attack.

Poor academic performance:

Your brain isn't fully awake when you have to get up too early. This leads to poorer concentration. Due to this reduced concentration, you remember less and your work suffers.

Alcohol, drug, and tobacco abuse:

Better-rested young people are less likely to abuse alcohol, drugs, or tobacco.

Why doesn't your school start later?

The initial research findings on the consequences of starting later are over 20 years old. So why hasn't almost anything changed? There are several reasons:

Transport:

Public transportation is mainly arranged around the current school hours. For a school to change its opening hours would cause problems for many students in reaching school. However, this problem can be solved by uniformly changing the departure times of all schools. But this can only be done by a national organization, such as the Ministry of Education.

Extracurricular activities:

The situation here is similar to that of transport. Your extracurricular activities are often aligned with the end times of school. Starting later means finishing later. Consequently, extracurricular activities like sports clubs would also need new schedules.

Age-related issues:

If you're reading this, you're probably a young adult and would likely benefit from later school hours. However, most children under 12 years old actually benefit from the current early school hours. Their brains are already active by 7 AM. Shifting school hours would mean the brains of children under 12 are less active later in the afternoon. Adjusting school hours for different ages could be a solution, but it exacerbates the aforementioned problems of transport and extracurricular activities. Additionally, 12 years old is an average. It's not as if when you turn 12, your biological clock shifts an hour. This change happens gradually, maybe at 10 for some children, and for others, not until they're 16 or older. Ultimately, shifting school hours by 1 hour would be effective for more students in percentage terms. However, without a guarantee that everyone benefits, it's challenging to implement these changes.

Culture:

The main reason for the lack of change is that the current school hours are ingrained in our culture. If you can't get out of bed, you're seen as a lazy student rather than it being accepted as a natural reaction. Change will only happen when more people realize that an extra hour of sleep is not only enjoyable but also makes you much more effective.

What can you do?

If you choose to get up at 8 AM, you'll be short on time. An average student takes 56 minutes to get ready for their day. For boys, this time is shorter, and for girls, slightly longer. So, if you need to be there by half past 8, you're already 26 minutes late without accounting for your travel time.

So, do your parents have a point, and should you go to bed earlier? Yes and no. In the current system, it's wiser to go to bed earlier. This way, your body gets used to waking up earlier, and eventually, you'll have less trouble getting out of bed. It's important to consider this on weekends too. So, don't stay in bed until the afternoon on Saturday and Sunday; try to get up at 10 AM. As I mentioned earlier, your body can be trained, but your brain can't. So, try to plan your morning so that you can do easier tasks while your brain is still waking up. If you have an exam in the morning that requires your brain to be fully alert, what can you do? The following tricks can help you be sharper and more alert in the morning:

Stretching and breathing exercises:

Start by stretching well and taking a few deep breaths. This gets your heart pumping, making your lymphatic system start working. Your lymphatic system removes waste from your body. If you want to really kick-start your day, add a short workout. The 7-Minute-Workout app is perfect for this. As the name suggests, it offers a 7-minute workout to start your day well.

Drink 2 glasses of water:

As soon as you wake up, drink 2 or more glasses of water. Your body hasn't received any fluids overnight. Your body is made up of 2/3 water, and your brain, 4/5. Drinking water in the morning makes your brain work about 14% more actively on average.

If you want to learn more about this topic, the following research by Kyla Wahlstrom delves deeper into it. It also contains links to various scientific studies I used as sources for this blog. These studies further explore individual aspects.

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