Mental health, academic results... Should teenagers start classes at 9 a.m.?

Should the start of classes for teenagers be delayed from 8 a.m. to 9 a.m.? This is the recommendation of a study conducted by the National Education Scientific Council among 86 middle school students.

To do this, their sleep was "measured with actimeters, a small medical device," explained Stéphanie Mazza, professor of neuropsychology at the University of Lyon 1, on RMC this Saturday. "We were able to observe that adolescents who stayed up until 8 a.m. saw their sleep deteriorate, while those who stayed up until 9 a.m. developed an additional sleep time of "27 minutes," she said on Anaïs Matin .

"We conducted impulsivity and cognitive tests, and measured anxiety and depression. All of these variables will change with the shift in class schedules," she continues. "Several international researchers have demonstrated the beneficial effects on students' physical and mental health, as well as their academic performance. They have better results."

"We're making teenagers get up later instead of going to bed earlier," says Julien, an RMC listener. "There's a trend among teenagers with their phones, until midnight, 1 a.m.... The combination of screens and lack of sleep...", he points out, before adding: "They're the future workers of tomorrow!"

"A justified question," replies Téphanie Mazza, professor of neuropsychology at the University of Lyon 1, but she points out that adolescent sleep is primarily disrupted by... puberty! "It's a transient physiological phenomenon, that's what we want to act on and that the 9 a.m. shift will help," she assures. These adolescents would therefore not be future lazy adults since "the shift will be canceled out, so it will be possible to get up earlier."

"The study showed that the shift does not encourage adolescents to go to bed later, which is a positive signal. We are adapting to their physiological rhythm," the academic also explains, adding: "The idea is not to give a general direction that is impossible to resolve, but rather a line of thought to help adolescents sleep better."

The issue will be addressed in June during the Citizens' Convention on Childhood Times recently announced by Emmanuel Macron .