Impact of commuting distance and school timing on sleep of school students

The insufficiency of sleep has become a widespread problem. The global development and rise of megacities have resulted in a drastic change in the life style of modern man. Increase in the daily commuting distance of a worker is a consequence of such development that has become a potential cause of reduced duration of sleep in the population. The problem of sleep deprivation persists across individuals of all age groups. An adolescent whose sleep requirement is higher than the adults and pre-adolescent children is also not an exception. The phase of adolescence is associated with the delayed bedtime and earlier wake time due to the early morning schools. In this regard, it is important to know the factors that contribute towards sleep reduction in adolescents. Long travelling distance from home to school is one such factor. This study signifies the combinatorial effect of daily commuting distance and school timing on the sleep duration of an adolescent studying in morning and dayshift schools. Findings of the present investigations revealed that commuting distance and school timings have profound effect on sleep of adolescent school students. The average sleepiness score of morning shift students is more than normal sleepiness level suggesting a chronic sleep deprivation among this group and rendering them to higher risk of excessive daytime sleepiness.