Premium
Setting Adolescents Up for Success: Promoting a Policy to Delay High School Start Times
Author(s) -
Barnes Margaux,
Davis Krista,
Mancini Mackenzie,
Ruffin Jasmine,
Simpson Tina,
Casazza Krista
Publication year - 2016
Publication title -
journal of school health
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.851
H-Index - 86
eISSN - 1746-1561
pISSN - 0022-4391
DOI - 10.1111/josh.12405
Subject(s) - sleep deprivation , medicine , mood , sleep (system call) , obesity , psychology , disease , gerontology , developmental psychology , psychiatry , clinical psychology , cognition , pathology , computer science , operating system
BACKGROUND A unique biological shift in sleep cycles occurs during adolescence causing later sleep and wake times. This shift is not matched by a concurrent modification in school start times, resulting in sleep curtailment for a large majority of adolescents. Chronic inadequate sleep is associated with poor academic performance including executive function impairments, mood, and behavioral issues, as well as adverse health outcomes such as an increased risk of obesity, hypertension, and cardiovascular disease. In order to address sleep deficits and the potential negative outcomes associated with chronic sleep deprivation, the American Academy of Pediatrics ( AAP ) and US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention ( CDC ) support delaying school start times for middle and high school students. METHODS We summarize current evidence, explicate the need for policy change, and urge school districts to put adolescent students' health as top priority and implement school start times consistent with their developmental needs. RESULTS Whereas substantial evidence illustrating adverse consequences of inadequate sleep on psychological and physical health, and recommendations exist to adapt daytime school schedules to match sleep needs have been released, actual implementation of these recommendations have been limited. CONCLUSIONS This is a call to action for the implementation of AAP / CDC recommendations across the state and nation.