The Impact of School Start Times on Adolescent Health and Academic Performance

The Impact of School Start Times on Adolescent Health and Academic PerformancePresented by Your Name

ϑ Begins with the onset of puberty

ϑ The sleep/wake pattern undergoes a biological delay in the timing of sleep.

Phase Delay

“ ‘Early to bed, early to rise’—may be difficult in the presence of a biologically driven phase preference.”---Mary Carskadon, et al. (1993)

The adolescent sleep pattern runs from about 11 p.m. to 8 a.m. and is “rather fixed.”

---William Dement, M.D., Sc.D., Ph.D., Professor of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University School of Medicine, Division Chief, Stanford University Division of Sleep.

“Sending kids to school at 7 a.m. is the equivalent of sending an adult to work at 4 in the morning.”

“All of the research that has been done shows that older adolescents need more sleep than younger ones. They fall asleep later and wake up later to get the sleep they need. Despite these two facts, almost all districts start the senior high schools first. We’re sending them to school during the last one-third of their sleep cycles. It’s comparable to adults getting up at 3 a.m. or 4 a.m. You wouldn’t want to be making important decisions at that hour. I think it’s nuts. The sleep deficit builds up until they fall asleep at school or driving.”

<8 = Insufficient 8 = Borderline ~8.5 hours = Adequate~9.2 hours = Optimal

Older adolescents need 9-10 hours

Adolescent Sleep Needs

ϑBrain maturationϑExtensive brain rewiringϑRelease of growth hormone

Across species, maturing individuals sleep more than fully mature individuals.

“Almost all teenagers in this country are sleep-deprived.” ---Maida Chen, Assistant Professor of Pediatrics, University of Washington School of Medicine, Assistant Director, Pediatric Sleep Disorders Center, Seattle Children’s Hospital.

2011 National Sleep Foundation Poll:

Weeknight Sleep Deprivation Prevails

Among Teens

14% of teenagers between the ages of 13 and 18 report getting nine or more hours of sleep on weeknights

“Sleep deprivation among adolescents appears to be, in some respects, the norm rather than the exception in contemporary society.”

“Our study doesconfirm that on school days adolescents areobtaining less sleep then they are thought to need, and the factor with the biggest impact is school start times.”

”Abusive” --Mary Carskadon, Ph.D.

”Nonsense”--Till Roenneberg, Ph.D.

”Deleterious” --Janet Croft, Ph.D.

”It is cruel to impose a cultural pattern on teenagers that makes them underachieve.”---Russell Foster, Ph.D., F.R.S., Chair of Circadian Neuroscience, Oxford University

The SCN is primarily responsible for regulating the circadian rhythm, the body’s hard-wired internal ‘clock.’

Suprachiasmatic Nucleus (SCN)

Light incident on human retinas entrains or phase shifts SCN timing. Work/rest schedules which conflict with the circadian rhythm result in circadian desynchronization.

Circadian Timing

Modifying Adolescent Circadian Timing

Carefully control light exposureIncluding wearing eyeshades to exclude evening light

“The issue of under-sleeping in adolescents takes on added significance when one considers that waking up too early costs the sleeper mostly REM sleep which predominates during the last two to three hours of a night’s sleep.”

Sleep Debt Can Mimic ADHD Similar

Symptoms:

δ Distractibility

δ Impulsivity

δ Difficulty with effortful control of attention

Some Effects of Sleep Debt Decreased ability

to regulate emotions and behavior

Poor grades and school performance

Increased depression, anxiety, and fatigue

Reduced immunity to illness.

Roper v. Simmons (2005)“Risk-taking is a complex phenomenon, and adolescents seem to be a particularly vulnerable population.”

More Effects of Sleep DebtδIncreased criminalityδIncreased caffeine consumptionδIncreased health-risk behaviors:δCigarette use δMarijuana useδAlcohol useδSexually activeδFeeling sad or hopelessδSeriously considering attempting suicide

Young people between 16 and 29 years of age are the most likely to be involved in crashes caused by the driver falling asleep. Crash rates

have fallen substantially in districts starting school at 8:30 a.m. or later.

Additional Effects of Sleep Lossϑ Excessive weight gainϑ Elevated blood pressureϑ Interference with secondary brain developmentϑ Physical,

psychological, or social difficulties

“Delaying school start times is a demonstrated strategy to promote sufficient sleep among adolescents.”

CDC Study (2010)

“The results were stunning. There’s no other word to use. We didn’t think we’d get that much bang for the buck.” ---Patricia Moss, M.A., Ph.D., Assistant Head of School and Head of the Latin Department, St. George’s School, Rhode Island.

Later Start Time Studies – Outcomes:

δHigher attendance ratesδHigher graduation ratesδFewer tardy studentsδFewer trips to the nurse’s officeδStudents report feeling more

motivatedδMore hot breakfast meals consumedδAdministrators report greater

“calmness” in the student body

Later Start TimeStudies – Outcomes

δ Kids get more sleepδ Fewer reports of depressionδ Kids watch less Televisionδ Attention levels improveδ Less impulsivityδ Better “rates of performance”

Sleep and SportsSleep extension (i.e., extra sleep) results in:

δFaster reaction times

δ Improved skill execution

δ Improved peripheral vision

δPeak athletic performance

Academics and Later Start Times

δ 60 minute delay: Edwards found a 3% gain math and reading scores

δ 50 minute delay: Carrell, et al., found a 0.15 standard deviation improvement in student achievement

Brookings Institute Reportδ 9 a.m. start time: 0.175 standard

deviation improvement in academic achievement

δ 9 to 1 benefits to cost ratio to change start times

δ $17,500 increase in student earnings

Obstacles to Later Start Times1. Transportation2. After School Activities3. Other Students and Programs4. Reduced Time to Access Public Resources5. Teachers6. Stress for Families7. Uneducated Community8. Resistance of students

Sleep HygieneϑDim lights before bedtimeϑGo to bed at the same time every nightϑTurn off electronic devices 1-2 hours

before bedtime ϑLimit electronic devices in the bedroom;

eliminate TV’s and computersϑFinish dinner at least 2 hours before

sleepingϑCalming activities before bedtimeϑLimit caffeine consumptionϑGet plenty of exercise – but finish at

least 4 hours before bedtime

“Rather than the ‘early to bed...’ adage, the new adage should be, ‘Wake up later and your grades will be greater.’” ---James Maas, Ph.D., Retired Professor of Psychology, Stephen H. Weiss Presidential Fellow, Cornell University.

The End