Research going back to the 1990's has determined that adolescents later sleep and wake habits is biologically determined. A recent poll by the National Sleep Foundation found that 60% of adolescents are sleep deprived. Typical high school start times conflicts with the natural cycles of adolescent sleep. Studies show that adjusting high school start times to 8:30 or later has positive changes such as...
- less likelihood of experiencing depressed mood;
- reduced likelihood of tardiness;
- reduced absenteeism;
- better grades;
- reduced risk of drowsy driving;
- reduced risk of metabolic and and nutritional deficits associated with insufficient sleep, including obesity.
Most experts agree that adolescents require between 8 1/2 to 9 1/4 hours of sleep each night. Proposals to change high school start times are nothing new and typically meet with resistance due to the following factors:
- transportation and bus routes;
- after school activities (e.g. sports and jobs);
- effects on younger students starting school earlier;
- reduced time to utilize public resources (e.g. libraries);
- teachers having less time with their own families;
- stress for families by alerting set schedules;
- lack of community awareness for the benefits of change;
- lack of students awareness for the benefits of change.
While support and interest in changing high school start times is growing, there is no clear path and timetable ahead. Parents can lessen the chances of sleep deprivation in their adolescents by providing information to educate their teens and having open discussion so teens will have less resistance to getting the sleep they need. To read the full article, click below.
- www.sleepfoundation.org -
- reduced likelihood of tardiness;
- reduced absenteeism;
- better grades;
- reduced risk of drowsy driving;
- reduced risk of metabolic and and nutritional deficits associated with insufficient sleep, including obesity.
Most experts agree that adolescents require between 8 1/2 to 9 1/4 hours of sleep each night. Proposals to change high school start times are nothing new and typically meet with resistance due to the following factors:
- transportation and bus routes;
- after school activities (e.g. sports and jobs);
- effects on younger students starting school earlier;
- reduced time to utilize public resources (e.g. libraries);
- teachers having less time with their own families;
- stress for families by alerting set schedules;
- lack of community awareness for the benefits of change;
- lack of students awareness for the benefits of change.
While support and interest in changing high school start times is growing, there is no clear path and timetable ahead. Parents can lessen the chances of sleep deprivation in their adolescents by providing information to educate their teens and having open discussion so teens will have less resistance to getting the sleep they need. To read the full article, click below.
- www.sleepfoundation.org -
