A new study from the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has found that schools across the U.S start classes way too early. Students now have the scientist on their side to respond to what they always thought about arriving times.
A new analysis from the center found that the average start time for approximately 39,700 schools was 8:03 a.m. According to The American Academy of Pediatrics classes should start after 8:30 a.m.
Only 17.7 percent of middle and high school classes start after this time. The center says students should be able to sleep at least 8.5 to 9.5 hours per night not to sacrifice their health.
The analysis was based on 2011-2012 information from the Department of Education. It comes that Alaska has the latest average school start time at 8:33 a.m, while Louisiana has the earliest at 7:40 a.m
Lack of sleep on teenagers leads to weight problems, depressive symptoms, unhealthy risk behavior like drinking, smoking, and using illegal drugs. It might also compromise their performance in school.
Most teenagers have sleeping issues, they don’t go to bed before 11:00 p.m. Making it impossible to complete the hours that are required, early school starting times are not being considered about this, but now this could change.
“That delay on your internal clock is one of the earliest signs of puberty. It makes it really difficult for the teenager to fall asleep before 11 o’clock,” Wheaton said. “If you try to go to bed by 11, and get the adequate amount of sleep, then you push school start times back until 8:30.”
Many districts understood this information and now they want to make it work. Chicago Public Schools decided recently to make a change, extending the arriving time as far as it could.
Elementary schools and high schools had been starting at the usual time instead of changing it. But many of the city’s high schools will soon start as late as 9 a.m. Fixing bus schedules and routes.