Sometimes it’s unavoidable; you have to take a morning class. At Queen’s the earliest start times are the dreaded 8:30 AMs. For some students, showing up at an 8:30 with coffee and a fully coordinated outfit is not an issue, for others (like me), it’s a struggle to get moving in the morning.
In recent years, there’s been buzz about shifting the school day to have start times later in the morning. So, what does psychology say about morning classes?
Spoiler alert! The more sleep you get, the better your academic performance
Adults between the ages of 18 and 23 need 8.3 hours of sleep on average to function optimally. Studies have found that a regular sleep schedule increases sleep quality and sleep length. When sleep is delayed irregularly, which is common among students over the weekend, the preference for later sleep times carries over into the school week. Students with this sleep pattern self-report more sleepiness and less motivation. In other words, sleep consistency is key!
During sleep your brain is busy consolidating the information it learned throughout the day. In fact, one of the best ways to encode information to memory is sleep! Sleep can also impact other behaviours important for academic performance such as your ability to sustain attention, and your ability to problem solve.
Psychologists have identified university students as an unique demographic for studying sleep. Students require a lot of sleep to support their academic performance, but students often don’t get enough sleep because they have to juggle other life considerations, like their social lives and living away from home.
Later class times often lead to later sleep times, not more sleep
One study examining the effect of class times on academic achievement found classes starting after 9:00 AM are favourable for students’ learning. In fact, the authors found most students function optimally during the afternoon.
In contrast, other studies found that later class times are associated with later sleep times and do not result in more sleep. This finding was partially due to increased alcohol consmption among students with later class times, likely because they knew they could sleep-in. This pattern is a chain reaction because alcohol consumption itself has a negative effect on academic performance.
Overall, multiple studies note an individual’s preference for morning or evening classes impact their ability to participate in classes. This means there are individual differences involving sleep and academic performance, and it comes down to understanding what works best for you! The good news: you have time to learn what your natural circadian pattern is. Research suggests you don’t achieve your adult sleep pattern until approximately 22 years-of-age.
As a non-morning person who usually ends up staying up til the early hours of the morning no matter how early I start getting ready for bed, I plan my class times to facilitate the routine I want during the semester. For fourth-year, I purposely enrolled in classes in the morning so I get an early start to my days!
Morning classes help me say “no” to nights out and hold me accountable for getting to campus. Instead of skipping class for other commitments or sleeping through my 8:30s, I start to prepare for class the night before. One benefit to morning classes is that I get the rest of the day to do other activities!
That said, I’ve missed many morning classes. When planning your course schedule, enroll in classes will help you build your optimal sleep routine! As long as you’re prioritizing sleep, only you know what schedule will maximize your academic performance.
The Verdict?
Sleep is good and morning classes can actually incentivize sleep!
Check out the sources below for more information.
Super fascinating read! Love all the research behind it