Teenagers Who Sleep More, Are More Alert For Homework On Starting Of School Later

In the fall of 2017, the Cherry Creek School District in Greenwood Village, Colorado, delayed the start times of the high school in 50 minutes (changing from 8 am to 8:50 am) and for high school in 70 minutes (changing from 7:10 a.m. to 8:20 a.m.). The results of one year after the change.
"Biological changes in the circadian rhythm, or the internal clock, during puberty and adolescents fall asleep early enough to get enough sleep when it comes to the school's early start times," said lead researcher Lisa J Meltzer , Ph.D., associate professor of pediatrics at National Jewish Health in Denver, Colorado. This is a report that translates into a longer sleep duration for teenagers due to waking times later. "
The American Academy of Sleep Medicine recommends that middle and high schools begin at 8:30 a.m. or later to support the health, alertness and safety of adolescents. However, a previous data analysis conducted by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention improved that only 14% of high schools and 19% of middle schools at 8:30 a.m. or later.
The study involved more than 15,000 students in grades 6-11 who completed online surveys during school hours prior to the change of start time in the spring of 2017 (n = 15,700) and after the change in time of beginning in the Spring of 2018 (n = 18,607). The survey included bedtime during the week and weekends, waking time and total sleep time; drowsiness during the task; and academic commitment.
The study was also related to the percentage of students who reported with time from 46% to 35% among high school students and from 71% to 56% among high school students.
The Superintendent of CCSD, Dr. Scott Siegfried, said the study supports the first-hand comments he received from students in the 108-square-mile district.
Siegfried said, "That additional dream has a big difference in terms of health and well-being, the contributions of our students and the numbers of this historical study point to the same conclusion: the change in our times of beginning has been a positive step and has been benefited all the students.”
The summary of the research was published in a line of Sueño magazine and is presented on Wednesday, June 12 in San Antonio at SLEEP 2019, the 33rd annual meeting of Associated Professional Sleep Societies LLC (APSS), which is a company The American Association of Sleep Medicine and the Sleep Research Society.
Meltzer is also the lead author of another summary of this study, "Impact of changes in school start times for teachers / staff", that important benefits in later class start times for schoolteachers intermediate and secondary and school staff. Information about the increase of the duration of sleep during the last hours of wakefulness, as well as the improvements in the functioning during the day.
"This is the first large study that examines the impact of the opening times of a healthy school on teachers and staff," said Meltzer. "It is important to keep in mind that this policy change, critical for the health and well-being of students, also for other members of the school community."
By: Preeti Narula

Content: https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2019/06/190607113825.htm