Later school start times for teens could optimize academics and safety

Later school start times for teens could optimize academics and safety
In 2014, The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) recommended that secondary schools start no earlier than 8:30 a.m. to accommodate teenagers' changing biological sleep cycles, which dictate later sleeping and waking times. The AAP cited studies finding that teens who don't get enough sleep demonstrate poor academic performance and a higher risk of auto accidents. Further, getting the nine hours of sleep recommended for teens becomes a challenge in adolescence when sleep cycles make it difficult for teens to fall asleep before11:00 p.m.

A group of sleep researchers from Harvard University, Oxford University, and the University of Nevada recently made their own recommendations that school start times for teens should synchronize with their biology, ideally calling for classes to start at 10:00 a.m. for 16-year-olds and 11:00 a.m. for 18-year-olds. They stated that a 7:00 a.m. wake time for teens is equivalent to a 4:30 a.m. wake time for a teacher in their 50s. The authors explained that the biological changes requiring teens to both sleep and wake later coupled with the early start times of most schools in the U.S. leads to 2-3 hours of sleep loss every day. This amount of sleep deprivation hinders memory, metabolism, and psychological health.
The authors describe several studies of later start times, which consistently show health and academic benefits for students. As public interest grows in later start times, many districts attribute transportation and other logistical costs as the factor hindering these changes. The authors urge policymakers to consider that later start times are indeed less expensive to implement than most other interventions to improve teen health and academic achievement.

Johns Hopkins University 

Research in Brief

News Blast

Views: 59

▶ Reply to This

JOIN SL 2.0

SUBSCRIBE TO

SCHOOL LEADERSHIP 2.0

Feedspot named School Leadership 2.0 one of the "Top 25 Educational Leadership Blogs"

"School Leadership 2.0 is the premier virtual learning community for school leaders from around the globe."

---------------------------

 Our community is a subscription-based paid service ($19.95/year or only $1.99 per month for a trial membership)  that will provide school leaders with outstanding resources. Learn more about membership to this service by clicking one of our links below.

 

Click HERE to subscribe as an individual.

 

Click HERE to learn about group membership (i.e., association, leadership teams)

__________________

CREATE AN EMPLOYER PROFILE AND GET JOB ALERTS AT 

SCHOOLLEADERSHIPJOBS.COM

New Partnership

image0.jpeg

Mentors.net - a Professional Development Resource

Mentors.net was founded in 1995 as a professional development resource for school administrators leading new teacher induction programs. It soon evolved into a destination where both new and student teachers could reflect on their teaching experiences. Now, nearly thirty years later, Mentors.net has taken on a new direction—serving as a platform for beginning teachers, preservice educators, and

other professionals to share their insights and experiences from the early years of teaching, with a focus on integrating artificial intelligence. We invite you to contribute by sharing your experiences in the form of a journal article, story, reflection, or timely tips, especially on how you incorporate AI into your teaching

practice. Submissions may range from a 500-word personal reflection to a 2,000-word article with formal citations.

© 2026   Created by William Brennan and Michael Keany   Powered by

Badges  |  Report an Issue  |  Terms of Service