These early hours are typically justified by reasons such as reduced traffic congestion and smoother logistics, claims that mornings are better for learning and concentration, and alignment with parents’ working hours and afterschool activities.
While these may serve adult convenience and institutional efficiency, they often take precedence over the biological and mental health needs of adolescents.
Sleep is essential for adolescents’ cognitive, physical and emotional well-being. Experts recommend eight to 10 hours of undisturbed sleep for adolescents every night – yet many fall short.
A study this year of close to 300 students in Kuala Lumpur found that early school hours, late bedtimes, and excessive screen use were the key barriers to adequate, good-quality sleep.
While reducing screen time helps, the bigger question remains: can adolescents truly fall asleep early, even if they tried?
The adolescent sleep-wake cycle
Adolescents’ sleep patterns differ biologically from those of adults. They often struggle to fall asleep early and find waking up in the morning difficult. Too often, this is mistaken for laziness or lack of discipline.
The reality lies in biology. Melatonin is a hormone secreted by a small gland in the brain known as the pineal gland. As darkness falls, melatonin levels increase, signalling the brain to unwind and get ready for sleep.
However, studies show that during adolescence, the release of melatonin is delayed, leading to later sleep and wake times compared to children and adults. As a result, many adolescents naturally feel tired closer to 11pm or later, making it nearly impossible to wake up refreshed before 7am.
This biological delay in their sleep-wake cycle means many young people cannot realistically achieve the recommended nine or more hours of rest, especially when combined with early school start times and heavy academic workloads.
A proven solution
Research consistently indicates that delaying school start times benefits adolescents’ well-being. One study found that even a 25-minute delay gave students approximately half an hour of extra sleep on school nights, reducing daytime drowsiness, improving mood, and decreasing caffeine intake.
The American Academy of Paediatrics and American Academy of Sleep Medicine strongly advocate for middle and high schools to begin no earlier than 8.30am to align with adolescent biology. Such changes have been shown to boost physical and mental health, academic performance, and overall safety.
It is time to reimagine school schedules in ways that reflect both science and compassion. Governments, educators, parents and communities must work together to pilot flexible solutions – whether through staggered schedules, hybrid models, or modest start-time shifts.
Even a 30-minute delay could significantly improve mental health, academic outcomes, and overall quality of life for young people. If we don’t act now, we risk rising rates of sleep disorders and mental-emotional health challenges among adolescents – issues that could well persist into adulthood.
This article was written by Dr An Jubin John, senior lecture at the School of Medicine, Faculty of Health & Medical Sciences, Taylor’s University.