Schools in the US start too early. A later start would improve attendance, graduation rates, and academic performance.
- Sleep is important for school-age children, especially those in high school.
- Anxiety and depression can increase when children are not getting an adequate amount of sleep.
"I struggled with anxiety in high school and the early school start time definitely made things worse. Having to wake up around 5:30 a.m. — it was still dark out in the winter when I left home — was really difficult and stressful," Gael Hong, now a 19-year-old college student in New York, said.
"When I got to college and was able to schedule classes a bit later, it was a really positive change. I don't have to panic now about getting up on time," Hong said.
Hong is not alone. Across the country, over 40% of public high schools start before 8 a.m. — some as early as 7:15 a.m. — and experts report this significantly contributes to widespread sleep deprivation.
Sleep is important for children of all ages, but adolescents can be especially impacted by early school-start times. Puberty brings many changes in sleep patterns, including a natural circadian rhythm shift known as a "sleep-phase delay." This shift often makes it harder for adolescents to fall asleep before 11 p.m. and can make getting up early for school difficult.
School-age kids are not getting enough sleep
The American Academy of Sleep Medicine reports children ages 6 to 12 need nine to 12 hours of sleep a night and 13 to 18-year-olds need eight to 10 hours, but the actual amount students get can be far less. The Centers for Disease Control reports that nearly 75% of high-school students sleep fewer than eight hours a night and almost 58% of middle-school students sleep fewer than nine hours.
Sleep loss has numerous repercussions, including a detrimental impact on mental health. Anxiety and depression —which has been rising among adolescents even before the pandemic — can increase significantly with insufficient sleep.
Sleep-deprived adolescents are also at an increased risk of suicidal ideation, sports injuries, substance abuse, and car accidents.
"Sleep deprivation impacts so many aspects of adolescents' mental health," Dr. Ross Goodwin, a child, and adolescent psychiatrist at Kaiser Permanente in Virginia, said. Goodwin said sleep loss can affect academics, concentration, impulse control, self-esteem, and decision-making. "Sleep deprivation can have a ripple effect — it can impact everything from the mundane to having life-altering consequences."
Some parents are pushing for a change
Jennifer Rosen Heinz, a mother of two in Wisconsin, says when her oldest child was beginning middle school, she was concerned that school-start times were the same as when she was in school — students still needed to be at the bus stop at 6:45 a.m.
Rosen Heinz had already noticed her children's sleep patterns changing — it took them longer to fall asleep at night, and it was harder for them to get up in the morning.
Rosen Heinz was able to successfully advocate to her school board to change school-start times in her community. "There were so many immediate impacts of school starting later. My kids were better rested and much less irritable. The family enjoyed each other more because there was less friction," Rosen Heinz said.
While start times can vary widely by school district and different states, multiple studies have found that later school-start times improve attendance, graduation rates, and academic performance.
But logistical concerns can limit change in some communities.
Lisa L. Lewis, a mother of two in California, and the author of "The Sleep-Deprived Teen: Why Our Teenagers Are So Tired, and How Parents and Schools Can Help Them Thrive" reports there can be resistance to changing school start times, oftentimes due to concerns about bus schedules and sports or after-school activities.
"There can be a knee-jerk reaction to changing start times, but this is a critical public-health issue," Lewis said.
In 2019, California passed a law prohibiting public and charter high schools from starting before 8:30 a.m. and middle schools from starting before 8 a.m. The law went into effect on July 1, 2022. Similar legislation is pending in other states.
Lewis, who advocated for this legislation, said these changes are most successful when school boards do them statewide and there is an implementation period that gives communities time to adjust. "Logistical issues can be addressed. This has been done and communities have implemented later start times successfully," she said.
Lewis added that schools can also accommodate families in certain situations who may need an earlier drop-off time by opening the library and allowing students to go there before class.
Experts report that an extra 30 to 60 minutes of sleep can have significant health benefits.
Kathy Radigan, a mother of three in New York, said a little extra sleep in the morning would make a real difference. Radigan says that when her children started high school, they had to be at the bus stop at 6:55 a.m. — and there was a noticeable change in their sleep and stress levels.
"By the time they get home, have dinner, do homework — and then try to fit in some downtime to do something they enjoy — it's already bedtime. An extra hour of sleep in the morning would really make a difference," Radigan said.
The American Academy of Pediatrics now recommends middle and high schools start at 8:30 a.m. or later. As more communities and legislators recognize the impact of sleep deprivation on adolescents, many families hope their school district will take notice.
"Effectively addressing adolescents' needs, especially mental health, requires policymakers to prioritize starting school later," Radigan said.
Misha Valencia is a clinician that specializes in trauma and a journalist whose work has been featured in the New York Times, the Washington Post, The Inquirer, Marie Claire, Healthline, Parents Magazine, Al Jazeera, and many others. Misha's reporting on international child abductions was selected as one of the best pieces from an independent journalist in 2021.