MSGID: 1:317/3 6423bee8   
   PID: hpt/lnx 1.9.0-cur 2019-01-08   
   TID: hpt/lnx 1.9.0-cur 2019-01-08   
    Early morning university classes correlate with poor sleep and academic   
   performance    
      
     Date:   
         March 28, 2023   
     Source:   
         Duke-NUS Medical School   
     Summary:   
         Sleep scientists' analyses show associations between early classes,   
         less sleep, poor attendance and reduced grade point average. Studies   
         in secondary and junior college students have shown that later   
         start times can have positive impacts on grades.   
      
      
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   FULL STORY   
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   SINGAPORE, 27 March 2023 - Digital data from university students in   
   Singapore suggest they could be getting better grades if their classes   
   started later. The findings, from tens of thousands of students, were   
   published by Duke-NUS Medical School researchers and colleagues in the   
   journal Nature Human Behaviour.   
      
      
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   Research in recent years has shown that postponing the start time of high   
   schools improves the amount of sleep that students get and reduces their   
   sleepiness during school hours. But findings are mixed about whether   
   this has a positive impact on grades.   
      
   To determine the impact specifically on university students, Associate   
   Professor Joshua Gooley, from Duke-NUS' Neuroscience & Behavioural   
   Disorders Programme and colleagues used student Wi-Fi connection data,   
   log-ins to university digital learning platforms, and activity data   
   from special sensing watches to conduct large-scale monitoring of   
   class attendance and sleep behaviour of tens of thousands of university   
   students.   
      
   "We implemented new methods that allow large-scale monitoring of class   
   attendance and sleep behaviour by analysing students' classroom Wi-Fi   
   connection data and their interactions with digital learning platforms,"   
   said Dr Yeo Sing Chen, first author of the study and a Duke-NUS PhD   
   graduate.   
      
   From the data, the researchers found that early class start times were   
   associated with lower attendance, with many students regularly sleeping   
   past the start of such classes. When students did attend an early class,   
   they lost about an hour of sleep. Morning classes on more days of the   
   week were also associated with a lower grade point average.   
      
   "If the goal of formal education is to position our students to succeed in   
   the classroom and workforce, why are we forcing many university students   
   into the bad decision of either skipping morning class to sleep more   
   or attending class while sleep-deprived?" asked Assoc Prof Gooley. "The   
   take-home message from our study is that universities should reconsider   
   mandatory early morning classes."  The researchers drew insights using   
   the Wi-Fi connection logs of 23,391 students to find out if early morning   
   classes were associated with lower attendance. They then compared the   
   data with six weeks of watch-derived activity data from a subset of 181   
   students to determine if the students were sleeping instead of attending   
   early morning classes.   
      
   They also analysed activity data with the day and night patterns of   
   digital learning platform logins of 39,458 students to determine if   
   early morning classes were associated with waking up earlier and getting   
   less sleep. Finally, they studied the grades of 33,818 students and the   
   number of morning classes these students were taking to determine if it   
   impacted their grade point average.   
      
   The team is now investigating differences between class attendance,   
   sleep, wellbeing and academic performance between early birds and night   
   owls. "We expect to find that evening-type students will be at a learning   
   disadvantage in early morning classes and have lower class attendance,   
   shorter sleep, poorer mental health and lower grades compared with their   
   peers," said Assoc Prof Gooley.   
      
       * RELATED_TOPICS   
             o Mind_&_Brain   
                   # Sleep_Disorders # Educational_Psychology # Insomnia #   
                   Numeracy # Obstructive_Sleep_Apnea # K-12_Education #   
                   Learning_Disorders # Autism   
       * RELATED_TERMS   
             o Circadian_rhythm_sleep_disorder o   
             Delayed_sleep_phase_syndrome o Sleep_deprivation o   
             Sleep_disorder o Narcolepsy_(sleep_disorder) o Night_terror   
             o Rapid_eye_movement o Sleep   
      
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   Story Source: Materials provided by Duke-NUS_Medical_School. Note:   
   Content may be edited for style and length.   
      
      
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   Link to news story:   
   https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2023/03/230328145459.htm   
      
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