You don’t need to be a genius to know that getting to an early class is awful, but new studies have shown that starting school or work at 9 am is actually an equivalent to torture. This is due to a biological timer we have in our bodies, our circadian rhythm. It’s essential to maintaining a happy and healthy life, and society’s constructed timetables are seriously screwing it up.

Dr. Paul Kelly is the head of the research team working in the Sleep and Circadian Institute at Oxford University. When conducting his latest study he came to the conclusion that at the earliest, the day needs to start by 10 am. This is because our body naturally works with the schedule of the sun, and no matter how we try to fight that it is not a changeable thing.

Changing school start times isn’t easy however. In primary and secondary schools, it has the potential to be problematic. Not only is there a whole slew of people the theoretical proposal would have to go through (including many state government officials), the idea itself it not supported by some educators.

Kathy Koch is a special education teacher at Peterson Elementary in the Chicago Public School District. She has stated that while she notices a difference in both the quantity and quality of work that her students turn in when they are tired and lethargic, the school districts shouldn’t change the already scheduled bell schedule. “I do not think school should start later. If it did, students who do after school activities and/or sports would not get home until unreasonably late. Additionally, in parts of the country where the day is short during the winter, I think it would be very depressing if students were in school the entirety of the time we have daylight. That doesn’t seem healthy to me, either.”

So perhaps this isn’t an option in younger ages. However, that doesn’t dismiss the countless universities and companies that have the power and the reason to change the start time of jobs, both on and off campus. Major universities should take the initiative and begin the process of weeding early class options out of their schedules. They should also really advertise the health benefits of starting classes later. As far as companies go, take some initiative! Obviously changes like these can’t be immediate, but approach your employees. Discuss the pros and cons of this lifestyle and see if it’s the right fit for you. I’d be willing to bet you it is. Making this change would not only create happier and healthier people, but would cause an increase in efficiency, alertness, and critical thinking in older students and employees. It’s hard to argue against that!

I, personally, have a schedule that allows for me to live by Kelly’s hypothesis, and I can attest to the accuracy of his words. My earliest class starts at 10 am, and even with my morning commute I rarely feel tired at school, especially in my long classes where I would otherwise begin to grow drowsy. This is completely related to when I go to bed and when I wake up, as well as what time of day those take place. I’ve never been much of a night owl, but with a full course load and two jobs I often find myself staying up later than I’d like. But no matter what time I get to bed (as long as I am allowing myself at least six hours sleep), I am able to wake up at 8:30 am with ease! More so, I’m doing it without an alarm clock. Because of Kelly’s study and my own experience with the ideas he is discussing, I believe that if you really let yourself listen to your body and trust it, great physical and mental peace will follow.

Thankfully, at a school like COD you have the option to take classes at any time of day! So when you’re working on your schedule for next semester’s classes, do your best to avoid those 8AMs and look for something closer to 10-10:30. Your body and your mind will thank you.