Study shows how teenagers benefit from delays in the start of classes



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Preliminary results from a new study conducted with high school and high school students suggest that they slept more and were less likely to feel too sleepy to do their homework after changing their district's district. district.

In the fall of 2017, the Cherry Creek School District, in Greenwood Village, Colorado, delayed by 50 minutes the start time of clbad (pbading from 8am to 8:50 am) and 70 minutes to high school (pbadage from 7h10 to 10h). at 8:20). The results show that one year after the change, self-reported sleep on school nights lasted 31 minutes more among college students and 48 minutes longer among college students.

Biological changes in the circadian rhythm, or the internal clock, during puberty prevent adolescents from falling asleep early enough to be able to sleep adequately in the early hours of the new school year. This study further supports the fact that delaying the start of high school and high school studies results in an increase in sleep time among adolescents due to the reactivation of waking hours. "

Principal Investigator Lisa J. Meltzer, Ph.D., Associate Professor of Pediatrics, National Jewish Health, Denver, Colorado

The American Academy of Sleep Medicine recommends that colleges and high schools begin at 8:30 am or later to promote the health, alertness, and safety of teens. However, a data badysis previously done by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention indicated that only 14% of high schools and 19% of colleges started at 8:30 am or later.

The study involved more than 15,000 students in Grades 6 to 11 who responded to an online survey during school hours before the change in the time of early spring 2017 (n = 15,700 ) and after the change of time of early spring 2018 (n = 18 607). The survey included questions about bedtime on weekdays and weekends, waking hours and total sleep time; drowsiness during homework; and academic commitment.

The study also revealed that the percentage of students who reported feeling too sleepy to do their homework had decreased after the beginning of school by 46% to 35% among college students and by 71% at 56% among high school students. Scores on a measure of school engagement were significantly higher after the change in start time for college and high school students.

"The results of the study are important because getting enough sleep is essential for the development, physical health, mood and academic success of adolescents," said Meltzer.

Dr. Scott Siegfried, Superintendent of the CCSD, stated that his study supported the direct observations he had received from District Students of 108 square miles.

"I do not know how many of our high school students came to see me and said," It changed my life for the better. "They said they were sleeping until they an extra hour of sleep before the start of school, "said Siegfried. "This extra sleep makes a real difference in terms of health and well-being.The comments from our students and the numbers from this landmark study go in the same direction: the change in our start times was a positive step and benefited our students everyday routines. "

The research summary was recently published in an online supplement of the journal To sleep and will be presented on Wednesday, June 12th in San Antonio at SLEEP 2019, the 33rd annual meeting of the Associated Professional Sleep Societies LLC (APSS), a joint venture of the American Academy of Sleep Medicine and the Sleep Research Society.

Meltzer is also the main author of another summary of this study, titled "Impact of Changing School Start Times on Teachers / Staff", which revealed the significant benefits of hours. start of school for middle and high school teachers and school staff. They reported an increase in sleep time due to late waking hours, as well as improvements in daytime functioning.

"This is the first major study to examine the impact of school start schedules on teachers and staff," Meltzer said. "It is important to consider that this policy change, which is essential for the health and well-being of students, also has an impact on other members of the school community."

Source:

American Academy of Sleep Medicine

Journal reference:

Meltzer, L.J. et al. (2019) Impact of changing the start times of middle and high schools on sleep, extracurricular activities, homework and university engagement. To sleep. doi.org/10.1093/sleep/zsz067.817.

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