How does sleep affect learning and classroom engagement?

Sleep and Learning and Engagement

Adequate sleep helps students arrive at school more alert and prepared to learn. When adolescents do not get enough sleep, they are more likely to experience daytime sleepiness, making it harder to stay focused and engaged throughout the school day (Owens et al., 2014). Research has shown that providing students with greater opportunities for sleep through later school start times can improve alertness and reduce sleepiness during the school day (Meltzer et al., 2019).

A study of more than 15,000 middle and high school students found that after school start times were delayed, students reported longer sleep duration, less sleepiness while completing homework, and significantly higher scores on a measure of academic engagement. Researchers also found that participation in extracurricular activities changed very little after the schedule change (Meltzer et al., 2019).

Key Research Findings

• Meltzer et al. (2019) found that...

  • Students reported 31–48 additional minutes of sleep on school nights after later school start times were implemented.

  • The percentage of students who reported feeling too sleepy to complete homework decreased following the start time change.

  • Academic engagement scores were significantly higher after later school start times were implemented for both middle and high school students.

  • Participation in sports, activities, and employment changed very little, suggesting that later start times did not substantially reduce student involvement in extracurricular opportunities.

Why This Matters

Students who are well rested are more likely to arrive at school alert, engaged, and ready to participate in learning. While later school start times are not a solution to every educational challenge, research suggests they can help create conditions that better support student engagement by increasing sleep duration and reducing daytime sleepiness.