Health & Fitness
Sleep, School Start Times and Lifetime Success
There is a strong link between school start times, teen's sleep and lifetime success. The Seattle School Board is now preparing to vote on a proposal that will have school starting earlier.
There’s breaking local news about school start times, sleep and school and lifetime success which needs attention now.
Last week the Seattle School Board heard a proposal by their transportation department that would have students picked up as early as 6:25 a.m. for school arrival at 7:10 a.m. This goes against all the research showing that teen students do better on later school start times. Early in puberty the internal body clock shifts later, causing teens to be alert later in the evening than other age groups. They also are sleepy later in the morning.
Volumes of research have been done showing that teens do better when school starts later. Here’s some of the data:
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- Eighty percent of teens currently get inadequate sleep. Total sleep time increases with later school start times.
- With later school start times students are absent and tardy less, have increased test scores, and improved graduation rates.
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- The Brookings Institute published a report finding lifetime earnings increased with later school start times.
- Mood improves and suicidal ideation decrease as total sleep time increases.
- Risk behaviors decrease with later school start times.
In my clinical experience working with teens this is a crucial issue. Teens describe getting into bed, then being awake for an hour or two because they just aren’t sleepy. They then struggle to get out of bed for school, and struggle to stay awake in their first class. It’s terrific to see the difference in their mood and outlook once they are getting adequate sleep.
The good news is that the Washington State PTA just this weekend acknowledged the importance of this issue by endorsing a resolution supporting “Alignment of Sleep Requirements for Optimum Health with School Start Times.”
If you are interested in showing your support of later school start times there is petition which will be presented to the Seattle School Board before their vote on May 16. You can sign it here: http://signon.org/sign/later-start-time-for?source=c.url&r_by=1714118. You may also contact the School Board directly.
School should be scheduled for the hours when students can do their best, and set themselves up for a lifetime of success and health.