Night Owls: Yes, there is an international organization, the B-Society, fighting for your right not to go through life tired. And for your children’s rights, especially teenagers, to stay awake and alert, not tired and depressed. This is a serious issue. Research has shown that forcing night owls into early bird schedules can lead to illness, not just productivity loss. Progress is being made on more flexible schedules, especially in Denmark.
The Society has a Facebook page that you can link to from its web site.
There is a summary of research on the B-Society’s Web Site. From the B-Society’s page on research:
In Denmark Vorbasse School has introduced flexible hours for the 7th, 8th and 9th graders. The pupils can themselves choose between working in teams between 8-10 AM or 2-4 PM. In this way, the pupils can be taught during the hours that best match their circadian rhythm. After the introduction of differentiated learning hours Vorbasse School has obtained measurable results. The average grade has gone up from 6.1 to 6.7, and the pupils are more alert and motivated when they receive training. At Egaa Ungdomshoejskole the superintendent Ulla Fisker has moved meeting time from 8:30 AM to 10 AM. This has resulted in students being more awake and alert so that they are more “learning-ready” students
UP@NIGHT 