US Teens Losing Sleep to Start School Early! Shocking Effects Here [Study]

Does hitting the snooze button help teens learn more and achieve optimal health?

According to a study released via the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), adolescents, who lack proper sleep, have a higher tendency to be overweight, depressed, perform poorly in school and find it hard to engage in daily physical activities. Moreover, they are prone to drinking, smoking and using drugs.

August last year, the American Academy of Pediatrics released a policy statement, stressing the lack of sleep in adolescents as an "important public health issue."

The policy states that because teens are programmed to stay late at night, one of the most "malleable" solutions for them to get enough sleep is to move the start times in schools at 8:30 am or later.

The policy further notes that early start time in school is a major contributor to insufficient sleep and circadian rhythm disruption.

The CDC study analyzed data from 39,700 public, middle and combined schools in the United States. The results showed that among these schools, 8:03 am was the average start time. However, 75 to 100 percent of public schools in 42 states had start times earlier than the average, and only 17.7 percent of schools started at 8:30 am or later.

The study also revealed varying start times in different states. Louisiana had the earliest start time at 7:40 am, while Alaska had the latest at 8:33 am.

Regarding the early start time, M. Safwan Badr, past president of the American Academy of Sleep Medicine, said to USA Today, "It makes absolutely no sense. You're asking kids to learn math at a time their brains are not even awake."

In a CDC report, Anne Wheaton, Ph.D., lead author and epidemiologist in CDC’s Division of Population Health, also stressed, “Getting enough sleep is important for students’ health, safety, and academic performance. Early school start times, however, are preventing many adolescents from getting the sleep they need.”

Despite its health benefits, delaying start times in school is still under discussion. According to USA Today, a lot of parents requested to start school at a later time as their teens had trouble waking up early. However, the report notes that school officials are arguing that a delayed start time in school would result in difficulty in arranging after-school events.

"It's a logistical nightmare," said Daniel Domenech, executive director of The School Superintendents Association. Domenech added that before moving the start time, school districts must first consider several factors (i.e., the cost of school buses, traffic and schedules of after-school activities).

The CDC report suggested parents helping their children achieve good sleeping habits by implementing a daily "consistent bedtime and rise time" even on weekends.