 |
|
|
|
Publish this article in your newsletter! This article was written by Chester Hartman, Kirk Renaud and Marie Cohen for publication in school or PTSA newsletters. To read other articles, click here. |
encourages the re-publication of this article. Feel free to edit as necessary to fit space limitations. Please do tell us how you use this article. |
According to the National Sleep Foundation (NSF), adolescents need about 9 hours of sleep each day in order to function well and stay healthy. Most elementary and middle schoolers get at least 8 hours of sleep per night, but once high school begins, the majority of teens no longer get enough sleep. In our area, data from surveys of students at Bethesda-Chevy Chase and Walter Johnson High Schools indicate that the average high school student gets only 6.5 to 6.8 hours of sleep per night.
Sleep deprivation is an inevitable result for students caught in a squeeze between early school start times and changing adolescent sleep cycles. With high school starting at 7:25, many students need to get up as early as 6:00 to get ready for school and catch the bus on time. While school start times force students to get up early, biology is keeping them up late at night. Circadian rhythms (daily sleep cycles) change naturally with age. Young children who once would easily wake up early and fall asleep before 9:00 become teenagers who cannot fall asleep much before 11:00 or 12:00.
Teenagers who don’t get enough sleep risk many harmful consequences. Scientific research and common sense suggest that sleep deprived teens can’t perform optimally in school, sports, and other activities. Academic performance suffers because drowsy students have more difficulty absorbing new information. Sleep deprivation can lead to nodding off in class, tardiness, and increased absenteeism. Continually tired teens are also more likely to suffer from physical and mental health problems, including depression. In addition, research has clearly linked drowsy driving with a large number of driving accidents.
What can be done about sleep deprivation in MCPS high schools? Many communities around the country are changing school schedules to help teens get more sleep. WAKE UP! -- an organization of parents and students from Montgomery County schools -- has been collecting information, raising awareness, meeting with Board of Education members and representatives of teachers and principals, and developing options for better school schedules. Such options might include a later high school start time for all, or, alternatively, a "flexible schedule" plan that would allow students to choose whether or not to start later. In response to our efforts, the Board of Education has mandated the establishment of a commission to study the flexible schedule option, which would not only address sleep deprivation but also permit the more efficient use of overcrowded school buildings. This fall, we are also identifying and supporting candidates for the Board of Education who support later starting times and flexible schedules.
Changing school schedules will take time and the concerted efforts of parents, students, teachers and administrators because scheduling is a complex matter with major economic ramifications. But ours is a progressive school system, and we are confident that creative solutions can be implemented in the not-too-distant future. In the meantime, to obtain more background information, find out when our next meeting is, and find out how you can support this effort, go to our website (http://www.patesslinger.com/wakeup/).
...........................................................................................
Chester Hartman and Kirk Renaud are parents of students at Bethesda-Chevy Chase High School. Marie Cohen is a parent of students at Westland Middle School and Somerset Elementary School.
| Parents, students, teachers and other school staff concerned about the problem of sleep deprivation among high school and middle school students are encouraged to join WAKE UP!, an organization working for later school starting times in Montgomery County. To join, click here |