Twenty schools in Denmark have pushed back their start times to improve the mental health of their students by allowing teenagers to sleep longer.
The country’s National Institute of Public Health has stated that teenagers have a different circadian rhythm than adults and don’t get enough sleep.
A report by the Institute found that 60% of teenagers in Denmark sleep less than the required eight to ten hours a day.
Researchers found that cortisol and melatonin are released later in the day in teenagers than in adults.
According to the principal of Th. Langs Skole in Silkeborg, Tine Agerholm Kristianses, explained that students “Sleep better, they sleep longer and they actually have more energy. Not only in the morning but also during the day.”