Why is such an early start time bad for adolescents?
Our teenagers are going to school sleep-deprived, and this is detrimental to learning as well as their physical, mental and emotional health. A large and growing amount of sleep research shows that adolescents have a different and later sleep cycle than younger children and adults. This is not a matter of habit or lifestyle or stubbornness. It’s a matter of biology and natural circadian rhythms. The hormones that regulate sleep make it difficult for a typical teenager to fall asleep until after 11 pm and to wake up and be alert before around 8 am. Making them get up at 6-something in the morning robs them of the deep sleep they need to grow and learn.
