California issues a new law that prohibits starting classes before 8:30 a.m.

Mornings in a house with children and adolescents can be very busy, and if you did not have enough rest hours the night before, getting out of bed can be very difficult and affect your performance during the day.

That's why in the state of California, United States, have proposed a new law, which prohibits starting classes before 8:30 in the morning.

In Spain the school schedule starts at 9 a.m., but many countries start the day before, and especially in the United States and Latin American countries they can start even before 8 a.m., is it an idea that should be imitated from California?

The purpose of this law is precisely that children and adolescents can sleep more and better. According to CNBC information, the bill was approved by the state legislature and is waiting to be signed by the governor of California.

The new law would cover schools of education up to the high school level, and its objective is help students have a better rest, which will be reflected in better school performance and avoid the appearance of problems such as obesity or depression, which can be caused by not sleeping enough hours, according to a Harvard study published a few years ago on the rest of children and adolescents.

Teens need more sleep

Adolescence is a stage in which hormonal changes affect sleep. Children at this age have a different sleep cycle than adults and also different from younger children. Your sleep cycles are delayed up to two hours.

“Medical studies indicate that the adolescent's brain registers changes that lead to the inability to fall asleep until after 11 p.m. and leads them to wake up at around 8 a.m. This has to do with the change in hormones, ”Kyla Wahlstrom told the BBC in reference to the study we mentioned earlier.

That is why when teenagers go to school before 8 in the morning, it is usual for them to fall asleep at the desks and just give up during the first hours.

Should we follow in his footsteps?

Getting up early is not something that pleases everyone and although they tend to get up as little ones even before the sun rises, as the years go by, waking up and getting out of bed is something that costs a little more.

I remember that during my childhood and adolescence, the first classes of the day, which started at eight seven in the morning respectively, most of the students were still finishing waking up, we were not giving up in class and even no one was missing who fell asleep.

A good rest during the key stages of development is essential, so the idea of ​​going through school hours so that everyone gets enough rest seems like an excellent idea. The hours of sleep a day recommended by the American Sleep Association, including naps are:

  • Children from 4 to 12 months: 12-16 hours.
  • Children from 1 to 2 years: 11-14 hours.
  • Children from 3 to 5 years: 10-13 hours.
  • Children from 6 to 12 years: 9-12 hours.
  • Adolescents from 13 to 18 years: 8-10 hours.

In United States The workday usually starts at 9:00 in the morning, so this would not be a problem for most families, so it will even make them more in line with parents' schedules.

School hours in other countries

In the United Kingdom and Ireland, the class schedule starts at 9 in the morning, as in Spain, except for children who enter school earlier in extended hours, but classes are not yet given. In France, they start at 8.30, while in Germany they do it earlier, at 8.

The departure time must also be taken into account. In most European countries, the school day ends between 1:30 pm and 3:00 pm, while Spain and Italy end at 5:00 pm and 4:30 pm, respectively, in cases of split hours.

Finland, a country of reference in education, starts the day at 8.30-9 and ends at 15 hours.

For its part, in the United States, the school day usually begins between 7.45 and 8.15, a schedule similar to that of other countries in the Americas.

What do you think of this measure to prohibit the start of classes before 8:30 a.m. in California?

Video: School Wouldn't Start Until At Least 8:30 . Under California Bill (March 2024).