Through an analysis of digital records from more than 23,000 students, the scientists found that students with classes scheduled at 8:00 a.m. had 10% lower attendance than their other classes.
In addition, students with these schedules have altered sleep patterns, compared to the rest of their classmates, and, in fact, sleep one hour less on average.
The researchers also looked at the grades of 33,818 students and found a negative correlation between the number of days per week they had morning classes and their grade point average. That is, the more classes they had in the early hours of the morning, the worse their academic performance was.
The study authors caution that “the effects of absenteeism and presenteeism on grades may have long-term consequences for students’ employment opportunities, job performance grades, and salary. Therefore, universities must adopt practices that improve student attendance rates and sleep behavior to position them for success in the classroom and in the workforce.”
And it is that the effect caused by lack of sleep should not be underestimated, since in adolescence and youth, a misalignment in the circadian rhythm can “cause daytime sleepiness and deterioration of cognitive performance,” the authors point out.
The reasons for the lag in sleep cycles are also due to the fact that the socialization patterns of university students are in a changing dynamic, with opportunities for coexistence late at night.
This is combined with greater demands in the courses and with a different structure in their weekly schedules, since the schedule of the first class can vary throughout the week; with its corresponding incidence on sleep habits.