The Reluctance to Go to School After Winter Break Isn't Laziness—Morning Struggles Caused by Sleep Inertia and "Social Jet Lag"

1. Reluctance to Go Back to School After Winter Break is "Common"—And There Are Multiple Reasons

After winter break, children may cry in the morning, struggle to get out of bed, or complain of "stomach aches" or "headaches." As a parent, it's concerning, and with work and getting siblings ready, it can be stressful.
However, what's important here is not to immediately equate reluctance to go back to school with laziness. Reluctance to go back to school = laziness Winter break is a time when daily routines can easily be disrupted, and it's common to start the new term without fully readjusting to "school mode."

The underlying reasons for reluctance to go back to school can be broadly categorized into:

• Discrepancies in sleep and internal clock (sleep inertia/social jetlag/lack of sleep)

• Psychosocial factors (anxiety, interpersonal relationships, academic pressure, environmental changes)

• Physical factors (post-infection, gastrointestinal issues, headaches, allergies, etc.)
  These often overlap and occur together.

In this article, we will first focus on "sleep inertia" and "social jetlag," which are particularly common after winter break. Sleep issues are often "overlooked but have significant room for improvement."
However, we will also touch on how to distinguish cases that cannot be explained by sleep alone (such as bullying or severe anxiety) at the end.

2. Keyword ①: What is Sleep Inertia?

2-1. The State of "Being Awake but Not Activated"

Sleep inertia refers to temporary impairments such as "grogginess," "reduced judgment," and "sluggishness" that occur immediately after waking up. Research reviews have confirmed a decline in cognitive performance immediately after waking, which improves over time.PMC+1
In other words, it's more about the brain and body being "in the process of waking up" rather than a lack of willpower.

2-2. How Long Does It Last?

It is generally believed to last for a while after waking up (e.g., 15 to 30 minutes or more), but it can be more pronounced or prolonged depending on sleep deprivation, wake-up time, and sleep quality.PMC+1
For children, who take time to get ready in the morning, strong sleep inertia can lead to a vicious cycle of "being late → getting scolded → becoming more confused," which is troublesome.

2-3. What Worsens It?

Research suggests that factors like "sleep deprivation" and "the time of waking up" can contribute to stronger sleep inertia.PMC+1

During winter break, staying up late and sleeping in are more common, resulting in:

• Shorter sleep than on weekdays

• Sudden advancement of wake-up time

• Being woken up during deep sleep
  These conditions make it easier for sleep inertia to occur.

3. Keyword ②: What is Social Jetlag?

3-1. "Mismatch Between Weekends and Weekdays" Becomes Jetlag

**Social jetlag** refers to the mismatch between the body's internal clock and social time caused by a shift in the midpoint of sleep between weekdays (school days) and weekends (free days). The research that proposed this concept explains it as "the discrepancy between workdays and free days."PubMed
During winter break, with "consecutive holidays," social jetlag can quickly become more pronounced.

3-2. More Pronounced in Children and Adolescents

Children and adolescents are more susceptible to shifts in sleep timing due to lifestyle influences, and school start times are often early. It is known that the internal clock of adolescents tends to be delayed, and the mismatch with early school start times is a concern. The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) has recommended delaying start times for middle and high school students.American Academy of Pediatrics Publications+1

Recently, research on social jetlag and sleep habits among children and young people has also been advancing.Taylor & Francis Online

3-3. How is it Different from "Just Lack of Sleep"?

While lack of sleep (insufficient sleep duration) is a major issue, social jetlag is about the perspective that "even if sleep duration is adequate, a shift in timing can still cause discomfort."
For example, even if you sleep well on weekends, Monday mornings feel like hell—that could mean your internal clock is "left behind" only on weekdays.

4. Why the "Morning Struggles" After Winter Break Can Look Like Reluctance to Go to School

4-1. Children's Words Tend to Be More "I Can't Handle Mornings" Than "I Hate School"

Adults can articulate "I'm struggling with jetlag" or "I'm too sleep-deprived to think," but it's difficult for children to do so.
As a result, what children express is often:

• "I don't want to go to school"

• "My stomach hurts"

• "I have a headache"

• "I feel sick"
  They may not understand "what's happening," leading to increased anxiety and further immobility.

4-2. The "Mismatch" During the Break Hits All at Once on the First Day of the Week

During winter break, it's not uncommon for bedtimes to be delayed by 1-2 hours.

However, on the first day of the new term:

• Wake-up time is suddenly early (and sleep is shallow due to tension)

• There are many preparations, and time is tight

• Returning to group life after a long time is demanding
  These conditions combine, making the first day the most likely for sleep inertia and social jetlag to occur, with additional mental stress. This is why reluctance to go to school is more noticeable.

5. How to Identify Signs of Sleep-Related Reluctance to Go to School

Here are some checks that can be "observed at home." Use them as a guideline for organizing, not as a diagnosis.

5-1. Signs That Sleep Inertia is Strong

• Immediately after waking, the child looks dazed and is difficult to communicate with

• Irritable, crying, extremely moody (even the child doesn't know why)

• Stops moving, slow to change clothes, sluggish actions

• Gradually "wakes up" over about 30 minutes to an hour

• Once activated, the child can spend the day relatively normally at school (teachers say "they were energetic")

5-2. Signs That Social Jetlag is Strong

• Staying up late and sleeping in during breaks, waking up early only on weekdays

• Extremely difficult only on Monday (or the morning after a long weekend)

• Recovers temporarily by sleeping in on weekends but deteriorates again on weekdays

• Gets energetic in the evening to night, leading to late bedtimes

• Can't eat breakfast / weak concentration in the morning

5-3. Signs That "It's Not Just Sleep" (Need Attention)

While sleep factors may be present, there could be other underlying issues.

• Severe anxiety or stomach pain starting Sunday night (strong fear of "school itself")

• Avoids school topics, extremely dislikes certain people or places

• Continued absences, mood remains low during the day

• Hints at self-harm, expresses extreme despair

• Loud snoring, breathing stops, excessive daytime sleepiness (possible other sleep disorders like sleep apnea)

In such cases, consider external support like consulting with the homeroom teacher, school nurse, school consultation desk, pediatrician, or child psychiatrist alongside sleep adjustments.

6. "Resetting" at Home: A Realistic 7-Day Plan

Here's the practical part. Focus on these two points.

1. Don't immediately revert to a "perfect weekday"

2. Use morning light and post-wake-up routines to pull the internal clock forward

6-1. Night Adjustments: 15 Minutes at a Time

During the last week of winter break to the first week of the new term, it's realistic to move bedtime and wake-up time forward by 15 minutes each day. "Let's suddenly go to bed an hour earlier tomorrow!" often fails. Spending too long in bed without sleeping can make the bed feel like a place where you can't sleep.

Example (Goal: Wake up 45 minutes earlier)

• Day 1: Wake up -15 minutes, bedtime -15 minutes

• Day 2: Another -15 minutes

• Day 3: Another -15 minutes
  Gradually adjust over a few days.

6-2. Morning Adjustments: "Light" is the Priority After Waking##HTML_TAG_419