Later start times might help teens
California considering bill to push back school times
Many parents are all too familiar with the struggle of getting their teens up and out the door for school each morning. The conversation often centers on the fact that it’s early, with the teen bemoaning the fact that more sleep is needed.
Turns out, the teens might have some medical evidence to back them up.
Now, California lawmakers are considering a bill that would prohibit middle schools and high schools from starting earlier than 8:30 a.m., based on recommendations from the American Academy of Pediatrics.
The recommendations stem from an AAP study in 2014 that found 8:30 a.m. is the ideal time to start school. The study notes that earlier start times contribute to insufficient sleep and circadian rhythm disruption.
Later start times benefit students “with regard to physical and mental health, safety, and academic achievement,” AAP reports. That means everything from reduced obesity risk, lower rates of depression and an overall better quality of life.
“Studies have shown that delaying early school start times is one key factor that can help adolescents get the sleep they need to grow and learn,” pediatrician Judith Owens, MD, said in an AAP press release.
At the Yuma Union High School District, an online search for each school found that schools start at 7:45 a.m., with San Luis starting a bit earlier at 7:30 a.m.
Now, there are a variety of reasons why teens might not be getting enough sleep: homework, after-school jobs, sports, extracurricular activities … all of these reasons are legitimate reasons that teens may be up late. And some teens may simply struggle with falling asleep early, feeling more like night owls than morning early birds.
The AAP brings up an interesting point, however. For adolescents, sleep-wake cycles begin to shift up to two hours later at the start of puberty, creating a different biological sleep rhythm.
Making teens get up early for school might not be the best environment in which they can learn and succeed. But a simple shift to 8:30 a.m. can make a world of difference.
What do you think, readers? Should high school start times move to accommodate teens’ sleep needs? Share your thoughts online at www.YumaSun.com, or send us a Letter to the Editor at letters@yumasun.com
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