From the book Why we sleep, by Matthew Walker, it's reported that teenager's circadian rhythm is different from the one of their younger siblings. It's shifted progressively forward, so forward that it passes even the timing of adults.
This is something wired in their brain and should be addressed when setting school times.
Moreover, Walker also proposes a socio-evolutionary explanation of why adolescent sleep schedule is shifted:
"Central to the goal of adolescent development is the transition from parental dependence to
independence, all the while learning to navigate the complexities of peer-group relationships and
interactions.
One way in which Mother Nature has perhaps helped adolescents unbuckle
themselves from their parents is to march their circadian rhythms forward in time, past that of
their adult mothers and fathers.
This ingenious biological solution selectively shifts teenagers to a
later phase when they can, for several hours, operate independently—and do so as a peer-group
collective.
It is not a permanent or full dislocation from parental care, but as safe an attempt at
partially separating soon-to-be adults from the eyes of Mother and Father.
There is risk, of course.
But the transition must happen. And the time of day when those independent adolescent wings
unfold, and the first solo flights from the parental nest occur, is not a time of day at all, but rather
a time of night, thanks to a forward-shifted circadian rhythm."
edit: putted a little more space in between sentences
Well, I've skimmed through your link and he makes some legit counterpoints.
The teenager different sleep schedule is not addressed by the link so maybe true at some degree, but still, when there are so many errors one became skeptical.
(This assuming this errors are true and they disprove many of Matthew Walker points, I have not looked at the article deeply as I said)
I am going to read it more carefully when I have more time.
(Jeez, it's really hard to believe something nowdays)
I always see his site mentioned. I am not convinced about this criticism. The author is not an expert on sleep or a neuroscientist. The most you can say is that Walker has not responded to this criticism.
Guilty. Since WFH started I get up at about 12:00 - 13:00. This has been my natural unregulated pattern since I was about 14 (40 years ago). I have no set hours at work and basically zero supervision so it works.
From the book Why we sleep, by Matthew Walker, it's reported that teenager's circadian rhythm is different from the one of their younger siblings. It's shifted progressively forward, so forward that it passes even the timing of adults.
This is something wired in their brain and should be addressed when setting school times.
Moreover, Walker also proposes a socio-evolutionary explanation of why adolescent sleep schedule is shifted:
"Central to the goal of adolescent development is the transition from parental dependence to independence, all the while learning to navigate the complexities of peer-group relationships and interactions.
One way in which Mother Nature has perhaps helped adolescents unbuckle themselves from their parents is to march their circadian rhythms forward in time, past that of their adult mothers and fathers.
This ingenious biological solution selectively shifts teenagers to a later phase when they can, for several hours, operate independently—and do so as a peer-group collective.
It is not a permanent or full dislocation from parental care, but as safe an attempt at partially separating soon-to-be adults from the eyes of Mother and Father. There is risk, of course. But the transition must happen. And the time of day when those independent adolescent wings unfold, and the first solo flights from the parental nest occur, is not a time of day at all, but rather a time of night, thanks to a forward-shifted circadian rhythm."
edit: putted a little more space in between sentences