Pediatricians are pressing for later school start times so teens can get more sleep, which could help their grades and health. The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) suggests in a new policy that teens shouldn’t have to report to school until at least 8:30 a.m. The delayed start time would decrease the number of teens diagnosed with “chronic sleep loss,” which is linked to poor health, bad grades, car crashes, and other symptoms. Chronic sleep loss has become the norm, says the AAP.
Teens are commonly functioning on less hours of sleep. The AAP found that most U.S. students in middle school and high school aren’t getting their recommended eight to nine hours of sleep on school nights. Most high school seniors are clocking slightly less at seven hours per night. Instead of going to bed earlier, the policy advocates for teens to be allowed more beauty sleep and to arrive to school later. More nighttime sleep could improve students’ motivation and mood during the day.
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A survey of the nation’s public high schools shows about 40 percent start classes before 8 a.m. The early start time forces students who take the school bus or use public transportation to be awake even before the sun rises, to be at school on time. Those students could suffer from depression, suicidal thoughts, obesity, and lower scores on standardized tests. Drowsy students behind the wheel are more prone to car accidents, said Dr. Judith Owens, the policy’s lead author and director of sleep medicine at Children’s National Medical Center in Washington, D.C.
Those opposed to a later start time say the delay would push dismissal back, which can impact sports, after-school jobs, and homework time. There may also be financial difficulties for an already cash-strapped public school system. Rerouting buses and adding drivers is a financial obstacle for later start times. Most bus routes make multiple trips throughout the day for older and younger students, that frequently start later than middle and high school students.