Later school start time equals happier, healthier teens

Dozens of school districts around the country have been looking at these studies and are considering ways to adjust their class schedules.

Eric Peterson is head of St. George's School, a private boarding school for grades 9-12 in the northeastern state of Rhode Island.

Armed with what he considered to be compelling data, Peterson decided to change his school's start time from 8:00 am to 8:30 am on a trial basis to see if a 30-minute change would make a difference. He was surprised by the results.

"What was really astonishing was how many benefits and how significant the benefits were," he says. "In the research itself, we saw just over a 50 decrease in health-center admissions for fatigue(疲劳), or fatigue-related illness, or rest requests. We saw almost 35 percent decrease in first-period tardiness. Students reported that they were more alert. They were less sleepy during the day."

Students weren't the only ones reporting better results in the classroom. All the teachers almost immediately noticed much more alertness(机敏) in the classroom, and there was definitely a more positive mood all around.

Headmaster Peterson says there was another unexpected area of change when the school changed its start time.

"We saw probably a greater than 30 percent increase in student attendance at breakfast, and of the food that they were eating. We more than doubled the amount of milk, eggs, fruit and cereal. So it was quality breakfast foods that the kids were eating. So they were better fueled as well as better rested."

Ross and Peterson acknowledge that making schedule changes has been easier at a small, private boarding school than it might be for the larger U.S. public school system.  But they are hopeful that others will find a way.

"In the end," says Peterson, "schools ought to do what's the right thing for their students. I think as a general example to other schools, is pretty compelling, and so I would argue that it's worth doing."  

Whether or how a school or a school district is able to do it, he says, or finds the will and skill to accomplish it, "that's the job of talented, smart school administrators," he says.

In the meantime, experts say that - as we learn more about adolescent sleep patterns and exactly why they need those nine hours of sleep - it is up to families and individual students like Danny to take personal responsibility for paying more attention to sleep as an essential element of a healthy life.