Teens Are Losing Sleep Over Early School Start Times, CDC Says

FAIRFIELD COUNTY, Conn. – A new study by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) shows that early school start times for middle and high school students have a negative effect on their performance inside and outside of school.

A study shows that early school start times for middle and high school students in the U.S. is causing them to lose sleep.
Photo Credit: *File*

Nicole Briggs

08/08/2015 1:00 p.m.

Of an estimated 39,700 public middle, high and combined schools in the U.S., only 17 percent have a start time of 8:30 a.m. or later, which allows students to get the 8 ½ to 9 ½ hours of sleep recommended by the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), according to the study.

Adolescents who don’t get the recommended hours of sleep are more likely to perform poorly in school, be overweight, suffer from depression, and take part in risky behaviors like drinking, smoking and using drugs, according to the study.

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