Introduction: The Power of More Zzz’s
A recent study in Sweden may make you blink twice – it suggests that a later school start time could significantly reduce the risk of depression and fatigue among teenagers. This sheds new light on teenage behaviour in Sweden and could inform policies affecting the youth, particularly in the education sector.
The Heart of the Study
Conducted by the National Centre for Suicide Research and Prevention (Nasp), the study examined teenagers aged 12-16 in the Stockholm area, revealing that a whopping 46% were not getting the recommended eight hours of sleep on weekdays. That’s nearly half of the teens cutting their dream time short – compared with only 17% who slept less than needed on weekends.
Quoted: Nearly half of the teenagers examined in the Stockholm area slept significantly less than the recommended eight hours on weekdays.
A Simple Solution for Serious Problems?
According to the researchers, a mere 30 extra minutes of sleep could lower the risk of depression and suicidal thoughts by 10%. Now, you might be thinking, ‘Sure, we just need to tell these teenagers to sleep earlier.’ Unfortunately, it isn’t that easy to convince teenagers to hit the sack early. Gergö Hadlaczky, one of the researchers, suggests as a solution shifting the school start time instead. By just one hour.
Quoted: A mere 30 extra minutes of sleep could reduce the risk of depression and suicidal thoughts by 10%.
The Perks of Sleep – More Than Meets the Eye
So, you might wonder, what’s the point? What’s so enticing about an extra 30 minutes of shut0eye that should convince school policy makers to rework their timetables?
Well, Hadlaczky points out that the benefits of extra snooze time are far greater than just reducing mood problems. Additional studies show a positive correlation between enough sleep and better grades – and even less crime.
Closing Thoughts
In summarising this fascinating study from the Swedish press, one thing is clear: Sleep matters. For our expat community in Sweden, it really does reinforce that well-known mantra, “early to bed and early to rise.” But it also suggests that we might need to reconsider our morning timings, especially for teenagers. After all, an extra 30 minutes of sleep could be the difference between frowning and a beaming smile at the breakfast table!
