A new study conducted by the United States government has found that many middle and high schools in the country open their classes too early to allow adolescent students to get the recommended eight and a half hours of sleep each night.
Researchers from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the Education Department discovered that out of the 40,000 public high schools and middle schools in the United States, less than one in every five schools begin their school day at the suggested 8:30 a.m. start time or even later in the day during the school year of 2011 to 2012.
Both government agencies noted that starting school days before this recommended time prevents young students from receiving enough rest through sleep during the evening.
CDC epidemiologist and lead researcher Dr. Anne Wheaton said that getting sufficient sleep plays a crucial role in ensuring the health, safety and even the academic performance of an adolescent student.
Wheaton, however, pointed out that early start times for schools prevent young students from receiving enough sleep that they need.
The government study found that the lack of enough sleeping time has been linked to a significant increase in weight, the urge to drink alcohol and smoke tobacco and the use of illegal drugs among high school students.
The CDC stated in its Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance Report for 2013 that the number of high school students that do not receive enough sleep, which is equivalent to about two in every three students, has not changed since it was recorded in 2007.
Researchers made use of data collected from the 2011-2012 Schools and Staffing Survey conducted by the Institute of Education Science (IES) to determine the start times of schools in the U.S.
The study showed that 42 states in the country reported that 75 to 100 percent of public educational institutions in their respective states started their school days before 8:30 a.m. The researchers found that the average start time for these public schools is 8:03 a.m.
The findings also identified that public schools in Louisiana had the earliest start time average at 7:40 a.m., while schools in Alaska opened their daily classes the latest at 8:33 a.m.
There were no public schools in Mississippi, Wyoming and Hawaii started their school days at 8:30 a.m. or even later, while over 75 percent of schools in North Dakota and Alaska began daily classes at the recommended start time or later.
While the researchers of the study have urged public school districts to set the start of school days at a later time, the parents of the students as well as health care providers can also encourage young students to get enough sleep each day such as setting a consistent bedtime and wakeup time throughout the school week.
Photo: Ed Uthman | Flickr
