School and Sleep
How important is learning to us, really? This is a good question to ask when it comes to school and sleep.
Sleep research has demonstrated that teenagers do experience a change in the internal clock called “circadian rhythm.” This change is exacerbated by modern technology (artificial light, the draw of the “screens”), but also by our societal obsession with early start times for school. This is not an unknown concept, but rather widely studied, including recent studies that demonstrated that starting school later did raise overall student performance in controlled experiments. In addition, there is compelling evidence that an early school start time has a negative impact on teen health and leads to an increase in motor vehicle crashes.
Given the intense focus on student performance (as well as accident prevention), as well as a recommendation from the American Academy of Pediatrics, you would think that this all would lead to a national movement to start middle and high school later. This has not happened on a large scale yet, although some districts have been willing to start school a little later. Overall, schedules continue to start early because it is convenient for the world of adults (we need to go to work), and because that is the way things are already done (inertia).
What can you do?
First, if you have a child, think twice before pushing an early schedule on her or him as a teen.
Second, if you live in an area with a very early start time for middle or high school, consider finding other parents and approach the school and advocate for a later start time.
Learning and lives are at stake. Literally.
Sleep research has demonstrated that teenagers do experience a change in the internal clock called “circadian rhythm.” This change is exacerbated by modern technology (artificial light, the draw of the “screens”), but also by our societal obsession with early start times for school. This is not an unknown concept, but rather widely studied, including recent studies that demonstrated that starting school later did raise overall student performance in controlled experiments. In addition, there is compelling evidence that an early school start time has a negative impact on teen health and leads to an increase in motor vehicle crashes.
Given the intense focus on student performance (as well as accident prevention), as well as a recommendation from the American Academy of Pediatrics, you would think that this all would lead to a national movement to start middle and high school later. This has not happened on a large scale yet, although some districts have been willing to start school a little later. Overall, schedules continue to start early because it is convenient for the world of adults (we need to go to work), and because that is the way things are already done (inertia).
What can you do?
First, if you have a child, think twice before pushing an early schedule on her or him as a teen.
Second, if you live in an area with a very early start time for middle or high school, consider finding other parents and approach the school and advocate for a later start time.
Learning and lives are at stake. Literally.
