WASHINGTON – Teens across the country, rejoice. Parents have lost their justification for calling their sleepy kids lazy when they refuse to get out of bed in the morning to get to high school on time.
In fact, doctors are urging high schools to adopt start times of 8:30 a.m. or later to avoid health risks associated with teenage sleep deprivation.
The American Academy of Pediatrics said Monday that sleep loss in teens can lead to physical and mental health problems, increased risk of car accidents and lower academic performance.
The organization of U.S. pediatricians said delaying school start times could help teens achieve the recommended 8.5 to 9.5 hours of sleep. According to a National Sleep Foundation poll, only 87 percent of high schoolers are getting that much shut-eye on school nights.
Judith Owens, a sleep medicine specialist at Children’s National Health System in Washington and lead author of the American Academy of Pediatrics policy statement, said teenagers undergo a biological change after puberty that makes it difficult for them to fall asleep before 11 p.m.
This coupled with pounds of homework and early class times contributes to the commonality of “chronic sleep loss in children and adolescents,” Owens said.
An estimated 40 percent of high schools in the U.S. begin classes before 8 a.m.; only approximately 15 percent start at 8:30 or later. Indian Creek Upper School in Crownsville, Maryland, joined the 15 percent when it was founded in 2006. Its classes begin at 8:45 a.m.
“Later start times allow Upper School students to get the sleep they need— crucial to brain development and emotional stability,” its website says.
Dean of Students Matt McCormick said allowing students to sleep in later than the average high schooler does helps students stay alert and ready for a full day of academics.
“Zombies in the lobbies in the morning are far more the exception,” McCormick said. “And the kids will tell you the late start is definitely better for them.”
However, school administrators say later starts are easier said than done.
“We are all for doing everything that can be done that is good for the kids,” said Dan Domenech, executive director of the American Association of School Administrators, “but the reality is logistically doing it becomes a major issue.”
Domenech cited transportation, cost and afterschool activities as potential conflicts.
But the AAP recommendation doesn’t just mean letting kids hit the snooze button a few more times. Unfortunately for many teens, it also means putting a time out on texting. The AAP also encourages parents to enforce a “media curfew” and prohibit cell phone and technology use after a certain time so that kids don’t stay up using electronics all night.
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