# data[].attributes.body
C: Copyright 2022, this article was updated in 2022.
R: Yes, this information is a counter claim to my argument and supports my questions on how school start times will effecting after school.
A: The author is Dr.  Bert Mandelbaum. He has a profession in pediatrics with IN princeton Nassau.
A: Yes the evidence presented is verifiable because citations are added beside the evidence. This evidence is factual and not opinionated.
P:The reason why this article exists is because the author wants to discuss the drawbacks to school starting earlier from true facts.

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Over the past year or two, there have been more conversations about school start times. Specifically, there has been more discussion about high school start times being too early. The topic is popping up in newspaper editorials, educational conferences and even backyard summer conversations.

Why are people talking about this now? The majority of school districts in the United States begin their school day before 8:30 a.m.; has something changed to make us think that this is no longer acceptable?

To answer the second question first, the major change over the past decade is that we have gained a better understanding and awareness of two basic scientific concepts: the importance of sleep and the natural shift in circadian rhythms in adolescence.

Societal value on sleep has shifted over the years, but recently, there's been an abundance of evidence to support the age-old wisdom that sleep is important. Lack of sleep has a direct effect on multiple short- and long-term outcomes.

Short-term negative outcomes from lack of sleep include poorer academic performance, poorer athletic performance, riskier/impulsive behaviors and increased automobile accidents. Long-term negative outcomes from lack of sleep include obesity, heart disease and growth suppression. Luckily, the opposite is true and getting sufficient sleep helps to reduce all of the above-mentioned short- and long-term consequences. How much sleep is needed? The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends 8 to 10 hours of sleep for adolescents and most sleep experts believe that 8.5-9 hours seems to be the correct amount. Eight hours seems to be a critical point for preventing much of the negative outcomes mentioned above.

Adolescence Circadian Rhythm The concept of circadian rhythm changes in adolescence is not new to anyone; in fact, almost all adults have experienced this during adolescence and should be able to relate. We know that during the teen years, melatonin, a hormone released by the pineal gland in the brain to help initiate sleep, has its release shifted two to three hours later than it was in childhood. The result of this shift in melatonin release means that teens who previously had been able to fall asleep between 8 p.m. and 9 p.m. now cannot fall asleep until 10:30 p.m. to 11 p.m. It also means that these teens have a hard time waking up before 7 a.m., since the melatonin release often continues in teens through sunrise. This shift in melatonin release has been documented to occur worldwide and is not a new phenomenon. Once teens become young adults in their early to mid-20s, the melatonin release often shifts back to follow a more typical adult sleep schedule.

Taken together, these two facts have changed much of our thinking about adolescence, sleep and school start times. If we know adolescents need a minimum of eight hours of sleep to prevent the consequences listed above and we know that they cannot fall asleep until 10:30 to 11 p.m., then we know we shouldn't wake them up until 6:30 to 7 a.m. at the earliest. Working from there, we know that we should be giving them time to get up, eat breakfast, get ready for school and then time to commute to school, usually on the school bus. Those calculations result in the general recommendations for starting school for middle and high schoolers no earlier than 8:30 a.m.

In 2014, the American Academy of Pediatrics published its policy statement, entitled "School Start Times for Adolescence," in which the authors expertly reviewed the data surrounding sleep and changes in adolescent circadian rhythms, and recommended that middle and high school start times not begin before 8:30 a.m. The CDC, the American Academy of Sleep Medicine, and many other national health organizations have also made the same recommendations.

Educators have long recognized that in districts where high school starts early, many of the students are either late for school or are not paying attention during the first and second periods of the day. Parents have long recognized that their adolescents seem exhausted and are difficult to wake up in the morning, resulting in them rushing their teens to school. So how did we get here and why haven't we changed anything?

Why Do High Schools Start Earlier? First, it's important to recognize that the science mentioned above is evidence- based and there are no real opposing viewpoints. There has not been any rationale that adolescents receive better education when they start schools early and it has not always been this way. The big push to move high schools to an earlier start time began in the 1970s and 1980s. As towns grew, schools became larger and transportation needs increased. As a cost-savings technique, towns turned to tiered busing systems, using fewer buses and bus drivers and having them repeat multiple loops with staggered start times. By convention, high schools often were shifted earlier and that process continues through the present day. Today, many towns have three staggered start times and often begin the high school students earliest and the younger elementary school students latest.

Though there is no benefit to starting school earlier for high school students, there has been a benefit to ending school earlier. Athletics typically benefits from earlier school end times, by allowing more time for practice and transportation to away games. Other benefits of ending school times earlier for adolescents include allowing more time to get to after-school jobs, helping with child care for younger siblings and allowing use of the school by other community organizations.

Now to answer the first question: Why are people talking about this now? As we have become more aware of the importance of sleep and the changes in adolescent circadian rhythms, school administrators and boards of education have begun to re-think school policies to see if they can help solve these problems. Keeping student health, education and well-being as the driving principle, they have found solutions to the three common problems that most districts face when considering the issue of school start times: transportation, athletic schedules and resistance to change.

The Obstacles Small towns and big cities have both been successful in finding ways to make this change. In many towns, transportation has been the first hurdle. Schools have been successful in solving the transportation dilemma in multiple ways, including swapping schedules and having the younger children start school first and the older ones later, tightening bus routes or reducing tiers and finding the money to offset the increase in transportation costs.

Athletics, a priority for many parents and educators and often a seemingly huge hurdle, has been successfully managed by school districts as well. Rotating bell schedules, implementing Option 2 programs allowing high school sports to count in place of gym, eliminating waste from the schedule and creating as early a school end as possible have been some of the solutions. Athletic directors have also looked to create efficiencies in practices, limiting them to 90 minutes, game transportation and to create more serial game play with freshman, junior varsity and varsity teams playing at the same time on separate fields.

Last, changing school start schedules, which families, teachers and the community base their home life schedule around, is often difficult. Successful districts have accomplished this change though open communication, explaining the rationale, inviting input and allowing time to adjust people's schedules.

More and more schools are successfully implementing this and leading this way for other schools. Data from these schools after they have changed start times support the success of the program and help to dispel many of the myths that people mention when discussing the difficulty of changing school start times. The data supports that when you delay school start times, bedtimes do not change and that students gain an average of almost a minute of sleep for every minute of delayed school start times. Tardiness, absences and automobile accidents decrease and academic performance increases. Best of all, parents report that their teens are in better moods and are more pleasant to be around.

Legislators have been weighing in too. California recently approved legislation that mandates school start times for high schools begin at 8:30 a.m. or later. New Jersey recently passed legislation to pilot a four-year study of later school start times in five districts. Things are starting to move in the right direction.

A Board's Priority What should a school board do now? The evidence is clear - if our job is to create the most successful environment for an adolescent to learn, grow and prosper, we should be finding ways to allow them to sleep more and not start school earlier than necessary.

Ideally, this would be legislated at a state or federal level, compelling all schools to be consistent with these recommendations for school start times. However, legislation is difficult. In 2018, both the California state Assembly and state Senate passed legislation for later school start times, only to have it vetoed by the governor. The rationale for the veto, although all the lawmakers supported the concept of delayed school start times, was that they thought the decision should be a local one.

So the decision is in the hands of the board of education. There is clear evidence that a change in policy regarding school start times can have a direct and immediate positive impact on the adolescents in the district. The obstacles to making the change are known, but surmountable. This is a problem where science and common sense are on the same side and in most cases, bright committed adults can come together as a community to find solutions and create a healthier and better learning environment for our teens. And after all, isn't that the priority of all of us?

Dr. Bert Mandelbaum is a pediatrician with Princeton Nassau Pediatrics; the chairman of the department of pediatrics at Penn Medicine Princeton Health Center; and school physician for the Montgomery Township school district.

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Why All The Fuss About Changing School Start Times? - New Jersey School Boards Association

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Over the past year or two, there have been more conversations about school start times. Specifically, there has been more discussion about high school start times being too early. The topic is popping up in newspaper editorials, educational conferences and even backyard summer conversations. Why are people talking about this now?

# data[].attributes.body
C: Copyright 2018, This article was last updated in January 2022.
R: This articles provides a proper counter- claim to why schools should start earlier. This information answers my question on how this will effect the rest of the day and how it will affect schools financially.
A: The author of this article is Gale, a Cengage Company. Gale creates many articles on a variety of different topics on their webpage.
A: Gale provides factual evidence backed up by institutions and studies by experts.
P:This information exists to show the drawbacks to change in school with facts from experts.

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About Gale In Context: Opposing Viewpoints

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C: Copyright December 2018. Last updated on 2022
R:  Yes, the video is related to academic performance in teens by sleeping longer and answers my question on how sleeping longer can effect performance.
A: James Urton, a author for the university of Washington who writes on biology, science and economic topics.
A: Yes, evidence is backed up by studies from researchers  like the CDC and other organizations.
P: This information is to inform readers that sleep helps children in school by provided facts listed from researchers.

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Teens show improved grades, attendance with later school start time, researchers find

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C: Copyright 2018, last updated in 2022.
R: Shows the dangers of too little sleep in teens. This answers my question on how little sleep can impact on teens.
A: New York Times, The New York Times makes articles and newspapers on problems and topics that concern a large part of the population.
A: Yes, evidence is provided by HealthDay as a citation and as a verifiable source.
P: The purpose of this article is to focus and inform parents about the dangers of little to no sleep in teenagers.

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C: Copyright October 24, 2019.
Relates to the science of sleep and the video supports my claim about teenagers not getting enough sleep during the week.
A: New York Times created this video. The New York Times made many of topics in the world that are problem in society.
A: Yes, evidence is backed up by sources from Health Day and The national survey of children's health.
P: The purpose is to inform the reader about the problem of sleep with facts from real studies.

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C: Copyright, May 29, 2020
R: This supports my question regarding Teen sleep and how important it is.
A: CDC, This Organization writes and informs many on different health issues and diseases.
A: This articles includes studies, experts and other research about the topic of sleep, Cdc.gov is an official website.
P: Informs the reader about how starting school time could improve performance in school in pupils. This information is provided by sleep psychologists and multiple experts.

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Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

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Learn how later school start times may help adolescents get sleep.

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C: Copyright, Mid-April, 2016.
R: This information is related to my topic by providing many scientific studies on the Sleep.
A: Behav Sleep Med, This organization are the providers of other studies that include health of a persons health.
A: Article includes graphs and experts of professional medicine, provides citations and links to the PhDs.
P: The information provides knowledge about the difference in sleep between home,and regular school students. Facts are listed from MDs.

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Behav Sleep Med. Author manuscript; available in PMC 2017 Mar 1.

Published in final edited form as:

Abstract

Homeschool students provide a naturalistic comparison group for later/flexible school start times. This study compared sleep patterns and sleep hygiene for homeschool students and public/private school students (grades 6-12). Public/private school students (n=245) and homeschool students (n=162) completed a survey about sleep patterns and sleep hygiene. Significant school group differences were found for weekday bedtime, wake time, and total sleep time, with homeschool students waking later and obtaining more sleep. Homeschool students had later school start times, waking at the same time that public/private school students were starting school. Public/private school students had poorer sleep hygiene practices, reporting more homework and use of technology in the hour before bed. Regardless of school type, technology in the bedroom was associated with shorter sleep duration. Later school start times may be a potential countermeasure for insufficient sleep in adolescents. Future studies should further examine the relationship between school start times and daytime outcomes, including academic performance, mood, and health.

Keywords: Sleep, adolescent, homeschool, school start time

Insufficient sleep duration in adolescents is common, negatively impacting cognitive functioning, emotion regulation and health ( Beebe, 2011; Drake et al., 2003; Fallone, Owens, & Deane, 2002; Galland, Taylor, Elder, & Herbison, 2012; Gibson et al., 2006; Gradisar, Gardner, & Dohnt, 2011; Nixon et al., 2008; Sadeh, Gruber, & Raviv, 2002). While biological sleep needs may not significantly change throughout adolescence, actual sleep duration is significantly reduced, with high school seniors commonly obtaining fewer than 7 hours of sleep per night ( National Sleep Foundation, 2006; National Sleep Foundation, 2014; Wolfson et al., 2003). One factor that contributes to insufficient sleep in adolescents is the intersection between early school start times and delayed bedtimes (due to physiological changes to the circadian rhythm, as well as academic and social demands) ( Carskadon, Vieira, & Acebo, 1993; Danner & Phillips, 2008; Dexter, Bijwadia, Schilling, & Applebaugh, 2003; Hansen, Janssen, Schiff, Zee, & Dubocovich, 2005; Moore & Meltzer, 2008; Owens, Belon, & Moss, 2010; Wahlstrom, 2002; Wolfson, Spaulding, Dandrow, & Baroni, 2007). To compensate for insufficient sleep, many youth will "sleep in" on weekends. However, weekend oversleep can cause "social jetlag," which further contributes to insufficient sleep during the week by dysregulating the circadian rhythm and prolonging school night sleep onset latency ( Wittmann, Dinich, Merrow, & Roenneberg, 2006).

A number of studies have shown the benefits of delayed school start times for both middle and high school students ( Danner & Phillips, 2008; Owens et al., 2010; Wahlstrom, 2002; Wahlstrom et al., 2014; Wolfson et al., 2007), including a longer weeknight sleep duration and less sleepiness during the day ( Dexter et al., 2003; Owens et al., 2010; Wolfson et al., 2007). Recent reports have found that later school start times were also associated with improved academic functioning ( Edwards, 2012; Wahlstrom et al., 2014). Other outcomes include better attendance, less tardiness, improved health and mood, and fewer drowsy driving accidents ( Danner & Phillips, 2008; Owens et al., 2010; Wahlstrom, 2002; Wolfson et al., 2007). Concerns that later school start times would cause later bedtimes have not been supported, highlighting that increased sleep duration for these youth is a result of later wake times ( Wahlstrom, 2002; Wolfson et al., 2007).

Unlike their public or private school peers, youth who are homeschooled do not have to wake early to catch the bus or get to school. How this difference is related to sleep, however, has not previously been studied. The prevalence of homeschool youth in the United States has rapidly increased in recent years (2-8% per year), with approximately 2 million youth homeschooled in the U.S. in 2010 ( Ray, 2011). The most common reasons reported for homeschooling in the U.S. are the quality of local schools, religious beliefs, and the ability to customize the learning environment ( National Center for Education Statistics, 2008; Ray, 2011). In short, homeschool youth provide a naturalistic comparison group for public/private school students in the examination of sleep patterns.

Along with sleep patterns (i.e., bedtimes and wake times), aspects of sleep hygiene, namely caffeine use and electronics in the bedroom, also contribute to insufficient sleep in adolescents ( Calamaro, Thornton, & Ratcliffe, 2009; Li et al., 2007). As many families choose to homeschool for religious reasons ( National Center for Education Statistics, 2008; Ray, 2011), and increased parental supervision is seen among youth with religious affiliations ( Wallace, 2003), it is possible that homeschool students may differ in their sleep hygiene habits (e.g., less access to caffeine at home than at public school, caffeine not consumed for religious reasons, less use of television or internet at night).

The purpose of the current study was to compare the sleep patterns and sleep hygiene of homeschool students and public/private school students. Our primary hypotheses were: (1) homeschool students will obtain greater sleep duration due to later wake times; (2) homeschool students will have more positive sleep hygiene practices, and (3) for all students, poorer sleep hygiene will be related to shorter sleep duration. Secondary aims were to characterize homeschool vs. public/private school students napping patterns, as well as examine depressive symptoms as a possible outcome related to school start times and sleep duration.

METHODS

Participants and Study Design

Homeschool students were recruited through the Homeschool.com Product Test group, a group of approximately 10,000 homeschool families that is demographically representative of homeschool families in the U.S. (R. Kochenderfer, personal written communication 8/8/11). Members of the Product Test group are invited to review new online educational materials, with both students and parents providing feedback. Following completion of the homeschool data collection, public/private school students were invited by an internet panel research company to complete an online survey, with a quota system used to match the homeschool sample on gender, region of the United States, and grade. For both groups (Homeschool.com and internet panel), potential participants received an email invitation. Although families may have had more than one eligible child in the home, only one survey per household was allowed. All surveys were completed during the 2011-2012 and the 2012-2013 school years. Online survey panels have been shown to be reliable and valid compared to telephone and in-person surveys ( Bethell, Fiorillo, Lansky, Hendryx, & Knickman, 2004; Klein, Thomas, & Sutter, 2007), and have been used in a variety of health-related research studies ( Cella et al., 2010; Flood et al., 2010; Flood et al., 2011; Long, 2007). This study was approved by the Institutional Review Board at National Jewish Health.

Because the survey was sent out by Homeschool.com and the internet panel company, it is unknown how many people received the invitation. Of the 1076 families who viewed the survey consent page, 592 (55%) started the survey, with 161 (27%) of these participants ineligible due to matching quotas for region, gender, and grade. Of the 431 respondents who completed the survey, 24 (5.6%, 14 public/private school students and 10 homeschool students) were omitted from analyses due to obvious invalid responses (e.g., negative calculated sleep duration), resulting in a total sample size of 407 adolescents (245 public/private school students and 162 homeschool students). There were no significant demographic differences between those who were included and those who were excluded.

Sleep

Questions about sleep patterns and sleep hygiene were developed by pediatric sleep experts for the 2006 (grades 6-12) National Sleep Foundation (NSF) Sleep in America poll ( Carskadon, 2011). The survey included two parts (see Appendix). First, caregivers were asked about the presence of different types of technology in the adolescent's bedroom and school start time. Adolescents were then asked a separate series of questions about their own sleep patterns and sleep hygiene (i.e., caffeine use and activities in the hour before bed). Total sleep time was calculated from adolescent report as the duration from bedtime to wake time, less sleep onset latency and wake after sleep onset. One question queried caffeine use. Five questions were used to inquire about depressive symptoms over the past two weeks ( Wolfson & Carskadon, 1998).

Statistical Analysis

Preliminary analyses included descriptive statistics for full sample demographic variables. Group (public/private school vs. homeschool) differences on demographic variables were examined using independent sample t-tests for continuous variables and chi-square analyses for categorical variables. Multivariate analysis of variance (MANOVA) was used to compare sleep patterns (bedtime, wake time, and total sleep time) for the two school groups and across grade level. Chi-square analyses were used to compare the two school groups on the presence/absence of caffeine use and technology in the bedroom (television, computer, or phone). Analysis of covariance (ANCOVA) controlling for group was used to examine differences in sleep patterns by categorical variables, including school start time and the presence/absence of a television, computer or phone in the bedroom. To control for multiple analyses, findings were considered significant if p < .005.

RESULTS

Participants

The full sample had a mean age of 13.6 years (SD=1.7, range 11-17 years), and was 51.4% male and 81.6% White (Black 5.9%, Hispanic 5.2%). Table 1 presents demographic information for both groups. There were no significant demographic differences between groups.

Table 1

Public/Private
School (n=245)

Homeschool
(n=162)

Test Statistic

p

Age yrs (SD)

13.7 (1.6)

13.4 (1.8)

t(405) = 1.90

.06

Gender

X ²(1) = 0.42

.40

Race

X ²(3) = 4.23

.24

Region

X ²(3) = 2.71

.44

Weekday Sleep Patterns

No group-by-grade interactions were found for weekday sleep patterns. Significant school group differences were found for weekday bedtime, weekday wake time, and weekday total sleep time (all p <.001), with public/private school students going to bed 39 minutes earlier but waking 85 minutes earlier than homeschool students ( Table 2 ). This resulted in public/private school students obtaining 49 minutes less total sleep time than homeschool students on weekdays. Significant grade differences were found in terms of weekday bedtime and weekday total sleep time, with bedtimes getting later and total sleep time shorter with advancing grade ( p<.001, Figure 1 ).

Table 2

WEEKDAY

Public/Private

Homeschool

Mean

SE

Mean

SE

F(1,393)

p

η p ²

WEEKEND

Public/Private

Homeschool

Mean

SE

Mean

SE

F(1,393)

p

η p ²

Weekend Sleep Patterns

No group-by-grade interactions were found for weekend sleep patterns. No significant school group differences were found for weekend bedtime, weekend wake time, or weekend total sleep time ( Table 2 ). A significant grade difference was found for both weekend bedtimes and weekend wake times, suggesting later bedtimes and later wake times with advancing grade ( p<.001, Figure 2 ). No grade difference was found for weekend total sleep time, F(1,392)=1.34, p=.24. As a proxy measure of circadian phase, mid-sleep period was calculated. No group difference was found for mid-sleep period, F(1,404)=1.46, p=.23. However, a significant grade difference was found, suggesting a later mid-sleep period with advancing grade, F(6,399)=15.08, p<.001.

To examine weekend oversleep, the difference between weekday and weekend total sleep time was calculated. For weekend oversleep, a significant difference was found for both school group and grade, with public/private school students having greater weekend oversleep (88 minutes vs. 32 minutes for homeschool students), F(1,392)=31.28, p<.001, η p ² = .07, and weekend oversleep getting greater with advancing grade (24 minutes in 6 th grade, 129 minutes in 12 th grade), F(1,392)=5.20, p<.001, η p ² = .07.

Napping and Optimal Sleep

No group-by-grade interaction was found for napping (number of days in past two weeks). A significant school group difference was found for napping, suggesting that public/private school students nap more frequently than homeschool students (1.52 vs. 0.83 days napped in past two weeks), F(1,392)=9.61, p=.002, η p ² = .02. In addition, nap frequency increased with grade (days napped in past two weeks: 0.57 in 6 th grade, 2.12 in 12 th grade), F(1,392)=4.66, p<.001, η p ² = .07.

Using the National Sleep Foundation's categories of "optimal sleep" (>9 hours) and "insufficient sleep" (<8 hours) ( National Sleep Foundation, 2006), a significant school group difference was found, with only 28.2% of public/private school students obtaining optimal sleep on weekday nights compared to 58.0% of homeschool students, χ²(2)= 41.33, p<.001, phi = .32. Notably, 34.3% of public/private school students obtained insufficient sleep on weekday nights compared to only 12.1% of homeschool students.

School Start Times

There was a significant difference between school types for school start times, with later start times (mean=9:00 a.m.) for the homeschool students compared to the public/private school students (mean=7:57 a.m.), t(213)=-13.70, p<.001, Cohen's d = 1.3. Notably, the public/private school start time was nearly identical to the average wake time of homeschool students (mean=7:56 a.m.). In other words, homeschool youth were waking up to start their day around the time public/private school students were starting school.

To address potential dose response effects of school start time on sleep duration, we examined the difference in sleep variables for students who started school before 8:00 a.m., between 8:00 and 8:30 a.m., between 8:31 and 9:00 a.m., and after 9:00 a.m. ( Table 3 ). Students who started school after 9:00 a.m. had a significantly later bedtime than the other three groups, with wake time significantly later for each later school start time category. This resulted in longer total sleep duration with later school start time (before 8:00 a.m. compared to 8:00 - 8:30 a.m. difference of 25 minutes, 8:00 - 8:30 a.m. compared to 8:31 - 9:00 a.m. difference of 26 minutes).

Table 3

Mean

SE

Mean

SE

Mean

SE

Mean

SE

F(1,402)

p

η p ²

CAFFEINATED BEVERAGES
a

None (n=187)

Mean

SE

Mean

SE

Mean

SE

F(1,404)

p

η p ²

Depressive Symptoms

There was no significant difference between school groups for depressive symptoms scores (homeschool mean = 7.15, public/private school mean = 6.84), t(405) = -1.36, p=.17. While depressive symptoms were not correlated with school start time for either group (public/private r = −.05; homeschool r = .05), depressive symptoms were significantly correlated with weekday total sleep time for public/private school students ( r = −.23, p<.001), but not for homeschool students ( r = −.11, p=.18), suggesting that public/private school students with shorter sleep duration report more depressive symptoms.

Sleep Hygiene

Public/private school students reported engaging in poorer sleep habits compared to homeschool students. Specifically, in the hour before bed, compared to homeschool students, more public/private school students reported doing homework, X²(1) = 44.1, p < .001, phi = −.33, watching television, X²(1) = 12.2, p < .001, phi = −.17, talking on the phone, X²(1) = 13.9, p < .001, phi = −.19, and using the internet, X²(1) = 29.6, p < .001, phi = −.27. Although not a statistically significant difference, homeschool students reported more leisure reading in the hour before bed compared to public/private school students, X²(1) = 7.5, p = .006, phi = .14. No group difference was found for the use of video games in the hour before bed, X²(1) = .43, p = .51, phi = −.03.

In terms of technology in the bedroom, although not statistically different, public/private school students were more likely than homeschool students to have televisions, computers, and phones in the bedroom ( Table 4 ). Controlling for group, adolescents with a TV in the bedroom reported 11 minutes less total sleep on weekday nights; adolescents with a computer in the bedroom reported 17 minutes less total sleep on weekday nights; and adolescents with a telephone in the bedroom reported 26 minutes less total sleep on weekday nights.

Table 4

Public/Private
School

Homeschool

Total Sleep
Time

n

%

n

%

Mean

SE

Television in Bedroom

X ²(1)=7.20, p=.008,
Φ=.13

F(1,404)=3.01, p=.08,
η p ² = .007

Computer in Bedroom

X ²(1)=3.52, p=.06,
Φ=.09

F(1,404)=6.33 p=.01,
η p ² = .02

Phone in Bedroom

X ²(1)=3.89, p=.05,
Φ=.10

F(1,404)=14.50,
p<.001, η p ² = .04

During the day there were no significant school group differences in the frequency of caffeine use, X²(2) = .66, p=.72, phi = .04. Collapsing across school groups, adolescents who consumed at least one caffeinated beverage per day had later weekday bedtimes, F(2,404) = 9.45, p < .001, η p ² = .05, and shorter total sleep time, F(2,404) = 5.35, p = .005, η p ² = .03 ( Table 3 ).

DISCUSSION

This study is the first to use homeschool students as a naturalistic comparison group in order to examine the contribution of early school start times on the sleep of public/private school students. Without the early wake times required to catch the bus and/or get to school on time, homeschool students (grades 6-12) averaged 49 minutes more sleep per night on weeknights. Over the course of a typical school week, this translates to four hours of additional sleep for homeschool students. Figure 3 provides an extrapolation of the differences in cumulative sleep time and sleep lost over the course of a typical week. While weekend oversleep slightly reduces the cumulative difference between groups, after one week the difference between groups remains 3.8 hours, contributing to the sleep debt of public/private school students.

As found in previous studies, delayed weekday bedtimes (and mid-sleep period time on weekends) were evident with advancing grade, particularly during adolescence, regardless of school type, highlighting the circadian delay that occurs during puberty ( Carskadon, Acebo, & Jenni, 2004; Carskadon et al., 1993). Public/private school students had slightly earlier bedtimes on weeknights; however, this could not compensate for the significantly earlier weekday wake times and subsequent shorter total sleep time. On weekends, when wake times were not a factor, both school groups achieved the recommended sleep for their age, with similar bedtimes and wake times. Similar to previous studies, public/private school students with later school start times (after 8:00 a.m.) did not have significantly later bedtimes ( Wahlstrom, 2002; Wolfson et al., 2007). This study adds value to the preponderance of evidence suggesting that later school start times allow students to obtain more optimal sleep duration on school nights ( Dexter et al., 2003; Owens et al., 2010; Wahlstrom, 2002; Wahlstrom et al., 2014; Wolfson et al., 2007). Further, with no group differences in mid-sleep period time on weekends, the differences in total sleep duration is more likely due to these early school start times rather than a circadian phase difference in homeschool vs. public/private school youth.

Also similar to previous studies ( Li et al., 2007; Mindell, Meltzer, Carskadon, & Chervin, 2009; National Sleep Foundation, 2011; National Sleep Foundation, 2014), this study showed an association between the presence of technology in the bedroom and shorter total sleep time on weeknights for all students, with more technology present for public/private school students. This is of great concern given the rapid rise in technology use in the past five years with smart phones and tablets. To highlight this issue, the American Academy of Pediatrics recently recommended that parents should be advised to keep television and internet-connected devices out of the bedroom ( Council on Communications and the Media, 2013). Further, parents should enforce a "curfew" for media devices for all family members (parents included) ( Council on Communications and the Media, 2013).

Limitations

There are several limitations that should be noted. First, we only included self- (and parent-) reported data, with no objective measure of sleep. However, adolescents have been shown to be good reporters of their sleep patterns ( Wolfson et al., 2003). In addition, no measrues of SES were collected.

Second, it is possible that the difference in nap frequency may mitigate some of the total sleep duration differences over the course of a school week. While we did not measure nap duration the median number of naps was 0 for both groups, with more than 65% of youth in both groups not napping in the previous two weeks. This suggests that napping alone is unlikely to fully compensate for deficient weekday sleep.

Third, while later wake times account for differences in weekday sleep duration, it is also possible that other factors contribute to these differences. For example, increased parent-child interactions for homeschool families may result in increased parental involvement around bedtime and sleep routines, which has been shown to increase sleep duration in adolescents ( Short et al., 2011). Another consideration is that some of the homeschooled youth were no longer attending school due to increased sleep needs that had previously resulted in academic and/or social difficulties. Further, it is possible that certain religious beliefs/practices (e.g., no caffeine use) may have also influenced sleep hygiene and sleep duration findings, independent of parental supervision.

Fourth, other than depressive symptoms, this study did not include daytime functioning outcomes, so we cannot draw any conclusions about the impact of school start times and/or sleep duration on the academic performance, sleepiness, or health of these students. Finally, because of the cross-sectional study design, it is possible that the changes across grades were due to a cohort effect rather than developmental changes to sleep.

Despite these limitations, this study adds to the growing body of literature demonstrating the potential value of delayed school start times on sleep duration, in particular for adolescents. The results of this study provide further evidence and support for those working to change school start times. It is critical for health care professionals to partner with students, families, teachers, administrators, and advocacy organizations to continue working toward changing school start times across the United States ( Iber et al., 2014). In addition, further empirical evidence is needed to demonstrate the benefits of later school start times in multiple outcome areas, including academic performance, school attendance and matriculation, adolescent mood and quality of life, sports performance, and health outcomes. While the importance of changing school start times has received increased recognition in recent years, there remain a number of schools around the country where change will not occur until further scientific evidence demonstrates the benefits of later school start times for adolescents.

Acknowledgements

The authors would like to thank Rebecca Kochenderfer for her assistance with the homeschool data collection, all of the families who participated in the study, and Julie Chapman for her helpful review and comments on the manuscript. This study was supported by NIH K23 MH077662.

Appendix - Survey Questions

(Answer choices or response format in parenthesis)
Parent-Report Questions

1. Does your child have any of the following in his or her bedroom (please select all that apply)?

2. On most days, what time does your child start school? (HH:MM)

Adolescent-Report Questions

1. On a typical school night in the past two weeks, what was the usual time you tried to go to sleep for the night? (HH:MM)

2. Thinking about your sleep habits within the past two weeks on school nights, how often have you done the following in the hour before you went to bed? (Every night or almost every night; A few nights a week; A few nights a month; Rarely; Never)

1. Instant messaged or went on the Internet

2. Played electronic or video games

3. On most school nights, how long does it usually take you to fall asleep? (minutes)

4. At what time do you usually get up on school days? (HH:MM)

5. On a typical non-school night such as weekends, in the past two weeks, what was the usual time that you tried to go to sleep for the night? (HH:MM)

6. On most non-school nights, how long does it usually take you to fall asleep? (minutes)

7. At what time do you usually get up on non-school days? (HH:MM)

8. In the past two weeks, how many days did you take a nap?

9. In the last two weeks, how often were you bothered or troubled by... (Not at all; Somewhat; Much)

1. Feeling unhappy, sad, or depressed

2. Feeling hopeless about the future

3. Worrying too much about things

4. Being stressed or anxious

10. How many cups or cans of caffeinated beverages such as soda, energy drinks, coffee, tea, iced coffee, or iced tea do you typically drink each day? (number)

Footnotes

Note: Dr. Shaheed is now at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX and Ms. Ambler is now at Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO

Reference List

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Wahlstrom K. Changing times: Findings from the first longitudinal study of later high school start times. Official Journal of the National Association of Secondary School Principals. 2002;86:3-21. [
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# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Start Later, Sleep Later: School Start Times and Adolescent Sleep in Homeschool vs. Public/Private School Students

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Behav Sleep Med. Author manuscript; available in PMC 2017 Mar 1. Published in final edited form as: Homeschool students provide a naturalistic comparison group for later/flexible school start times. This study compared sleep patterns and sleep hygiene for homeschool students and public/private school students (grades 6-12).

# data[].attributes.attachment_caption
How Would Later School Start Times Affect Sleep?

# data[].attributes.body
C: Copyright, February 5, 2021
R: This Article supports my claim because it is a related topic with similar studies.
A: The author is Eric Suni and his qualifications are a scientist based writer for over a decade and contributions to The Nation Cancer institute. This article is medically reviewed by Dr. Nilong Vyas, A Pediatrician MD for the Sleepless.
A: Yes the article provides facts backed up by cited evidence from the authors sources.
P: The purpose is to educate people on the effects of lack of sleep. This article shows facts that are proved by Professional MDs

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
In the United States, the average This time varies, though, depending on the state. Except for eight outlying states, each state's average start time is between 7:45 a.m. and 8:15 a.m.

Other start time factors include the location of the school district and the school type. For example, 54% of high schools in the suburbs start before 8:00 a.m. By contrast, over half of charter high schools start after 8:00 a.m., and high schools with fewer than 200 students begin around 8:15 a.m on average. (This study did not include data on private schools.)

Data on average middle school start times is less recent and does not include public charter or private schools. When assessed by the CDC for the 2011-2012 school year, the average start time at This is slightly later than high schools. The middle school start times varied widely, too, depending on the state. This study also noted the start time for combined middle and high schools; the average was 8:08 a.m.

Both the American Academy of Sleep Medicine and the American Academy of Pediatrics recommend that both middle and high schools begin Both organizations want to ensure students get adequate sleep so that they are alert and prepared to learn at school.

Biology plays a large factor in the sleep cycles of children and adolescents. Around the beginning of puberty, most adolescents experience later sleep onset and wake times, also called "phase delay". This phase delay can shift the body's internal clock back by up to two hours. As a result, the average teenager cannot fall asleep until 11:00 p.m. and would do best waking up at 8:00 a.m. or even later.

A later school start time helps accommodate this biological need. Overall care for sleep hygiene, such as having a good night's sleep and following back-to-school sleep tips, can also help adolescents regulate their sleep.

Other factors that affect student sleep are . American middle and high school students often take on various extracurricular activities - such as sports, clubs, and jobs - which often extend into the evening hours. High school students also have more homework, late-night technology use, and fewer parent-set bedtimes, all of which may cause students to stay up later than is appropriate for getting adequate sleep.

Countless studies have shown that early school start times are associated with students getting less sleep, which negatively affects student academic performance. Students with less sleep have difficulty paying attention in class and are likely to have lower grades. They may also experience irritability and fatigue.

Other concerns with early school start times and the resulting insufficient sleep include:

Increased likelihood for participating in risk-taking behaviors, such as bullying and fighting.

Greater chance of unhealthy behaviors including alcohol and drug use and tobacco smoking.

National Library of Medicine, Biotech Information The National Center for Biotechnology Information advances science and health by providing access to biomedical and genomic information. Higher risk of athletic injury View Source .

An increase of depressive symptoms including suicidal ideation.

Increased risk of motor vehicle accidents.

A lack of sleep also has long-term physical and mental health consequences. Poor quantity and quality of sleep can lead to health concerns such as diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and obesity.

Later school start times support the biological needs of adolescents; they increase the amount of sleep adolescents get. Other benefits of later start times include:

Improved attendance at school.

Decreased tardiness.

American Psychological Association (APA) APA is the leading scientific and professional organization representing psychology in the United States, with more than 121,000 researchers, educators, clinicians, consultants and students as its members. Better student grades View Source .

Fewer occurrences of falling asleep in class.

Reduced irritability and depressive symptoms.

Fewer disciplinary issues.

16.5% decrease in the teenage crash rate National Library of Medicine, Biotech Information The National Center for Biotechnology Information advances science and health by providing access to biomedical and genomic information. A decline of motor vehicle crashes. One study showed a View Source after the school start time was pushed back one hour.

Disadvantages of Later School Start Times

While there are numerous benefits of later school start times, there are a few possible negative outcomes:

Scheduling conflicts. These may arise for athletic and academic competitions against schools with earlier start times and therefore an earlier dismissal.

Transportation challenges. Later start times will likely mean more busses on the road later in the day; this could create more traffic and increase travel delays.

Childcare. Some families rely on older students to care for younger siblings after school; this may be more difficult if high schools dismiss later than elementary or middle schools.

However, these problems can likely be solved with flexibility and thoughtful planning.

If you are concerned about a too-early start time for your child's school, consider contacting your school board or other educational leaders to discuss delaying school start time.

Learn more about our Editorial Team

References

1. Consensus Conference Panel, Watson, N. F., Badr, M. S., Belenky, G., Bliwise, D. L., Buxton, O. M., Buysse, D., Dinges, D. F., Gangwisch, J., Grandner, M. A., Kushida, C., Malhotra, R. K., Martin, J. L., Patel, S. R., Quan, S. F., Tasali, E., Non-Participating Observers, Twery, M., Croft, J. B., Maher, E., ... Heald, J. L. (2015). Recommended amount of sleep for a healthy adult: A joint consensus statement of the American Academy of Sleep Medicine and Sleep Research Society. Journal of Clinical Sleep Medicine, 11(6), 591-592.
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/25979105/

2. Wheaton, A. G., Jones, S. E., Cooper, A. C., Croft, J. B. (2018). Short sleep duration among middle school and high school students - United States, 2015. Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report. 67, 85-90.
https://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/volumes/67/wr/mm6703a1.htm?s_cid=mm6703a1_w

3. Sawyer, H., Taie, S., & Westat. (2020, February). Start Time for U.S. Public High Schools. The Institute of Education Sciences.
https://nces.ed.gov/pubs2020/2020006/index.asp

4. Wheaton AG, Ferro GA, Croft JB. School Start Times for Middle School and High School Students - United States, 2011-12 School Year. MMWR Morb Mortal Wkly Rep 2015;64(30);809-813.
https://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/mm6430a1.htm

5. Adolescent Sleep Working Group; Committee on Adolescence; Council on School Health. School start times for adolescents. Pediatrics. 2014 Sep;134(3):642-9.
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/25156998/

6. Wheaton AG, Chapman DP, Croft JB. School Start Times, Sleep, Behavioral, Health, and Academic Outcomes: A Review of the Literature. J Sch Health. 2016 May;86(5):363-81.
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/27040474/

7. Watson NF, Martin JL, Wise MS, Carden KA, Kirsch DB, Kristo DA, Malhotra RK, Olson EJ, Ramar K, Rosen IM, Rowley JA, Weaver TE, Chervin RD; American Academy of Sleep Medicine Board of Directors. Delaying Middle School and High School Start Times Promotes Student Health and Performance: An American Academy of Sleep Medicine Position Statement. J Clin Sleep Med. 2017 Apr 15;13(4):623-625.
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28416043/

8. The American Psychological Association. (2014). Later School Start Times Promote Adolescent Well-Being., Retrieved January 26, 2021 from
https://www.apa.org/pi/families/resources/school-start-times.pdf

9. Danner F, Phillips B. Adolescent sleep, school start times, and teen motor vehicle crashes. J Clin Sleep Med. 2008 Dec 15;4(6):533-5.
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/19110880/

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How Would Later School Start Times Affect Sleep? | Sleep Foundation

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Experts recommend middle and high schools begin no sooner than 8:30 a.m. Later school start times will increase adolescent sleep and improve their performance.

# data[].attributes.body
C: Copyright August 2018
R: This shows that students are tired in class because of the lack of sleep their getting. Yes it answers my questions regarding how tired students are.
A: The author of this photo is Brian Cassella and is qualifications are taking photos.
A: Yes presentable evidence is shown  from proof from the author.
P: is to show that students falling asleep is a problem in academics based on proof from the picture taken in 2014.

# data[].attributes.body
C: Copyright 2019, last updated in 2018.
R: Persuades that teenagers should sleep in for their health.
A: The author is Bigstock, a online news journal
A: Yes, the picture provides a citation that provides a link to the picture.
P: This picture is to teach readers on how important sleep is for teens

# data[].attributes.body
C: Copyright 2014, last updated on 2022
R: Yes,  this picture answers my questions regarding  why teens are feeling tired in class.
A: The author is Brian Cassella, a photographer who documents on students and their sleep.
A: Yes, this photo shows factual proof and a description of the picture telling when the picture was published.
P: This picture exists to show and inform people on how sleep is effecting the studies of students with facts.