Moms Talk: High School Students and Sleep

As the parent of two county school students, I had heard a lot of discussion among parents about the start times of all local high schools (7:17 a.m.). Now, as the parent of a high school student, I understand what all the fuss was about!  Getting my daughter out the door by 6:30 a.m. for the bus can create a lot of drama.  

On one hand, I understand that the early school times provide enough time in the afternoons for sports teams to play games and for students who work to be able to earn more. Local businesses definitely have an investment in the issue.

But at what cost?

The National Sleep Foundation reports that although no formally accepted sleep guidelines exist, the foundation recommends nine hours of sleep a night as optimal for adolescents, eight hours as borderline and anything under eight hours as not enough.

“The natural sleep-wake pattern shifts during adolescence, making earlier bed time and wake times more difficult. The result for students with early school start-times is a chronic sleep deficit,” said lead study author Danice Eaton, Ph.D., of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

What do you, either as a past, current or future high school parent or as a concerned citizen, think about the 7:17 a.m. starting time? If you have a teen, are they a different person this week because they aren't waking up at the crack of dawn?