School start times
Thank you to Division 37 board member Sonia Rubens, PhD, for cultivating these resources.
Key facts
- More than 70% of U.S. adolescents are not receiving the recommended 8-10 hours of sleep. A combination of biological and sociocultural factors influence adolescent sleep habits.
- Early school start times (before 8:30 a.m. for high school) can contribute to insufficient sleep, which in turn is associated with many physical and mental health problems in youth and adults.
- School start times are a modifiable factor that has been shown to increase sleep duration and have positive impact on adolescent well-being. Moving school start times to 8:30 a.m. is related to increased sleep quantity, decreased daytime sleepiness, improved mood, increased school attendance, and improved motivation.
Relevant resources
Ziporyn, T. D., Owens, J. A., Wahlstrom, K. L., Wolfson, A. R., Troxel, W. M., Saletin, J. M., ... & Carskadon, M. A. (2022). Adolescent sleep health and school start times: Setting the research agenda for California and beyond. A research summit summary. Sleep Health, 8(1), 11-22.
https://www.startschoollater.net/opens in new window
https://www.cdc.gov/sleep/features/schools-start-too-early.htmlopens in new window
https://www.cdc.gov/healthyschools/features/students-sleep.htmopens in new window
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S2352721817301985opens in new window
Date created: August 2024