ENTtoday
  • Home
  • COVID-19
  • Practice Focus
    • Allergy
    • Facial Plastic/Reconstructive
    • Head and Neck
    • Laryngology
    • Otology/Neurotology
    • Pediatric
    • Rhinology
    • Sleep Medicine
  • Departments
    • Issue Archive
    • TRIO Best Practices
      • Allergy
      • Facial Plastic/Reconstructive
      • Head and Neck
      • Laryngology
      • Otology/Neurotology
      • Pediatric
      • Rhinology
      • Sleep Medicine
    • Career Development
    • Case of the Month
    • Everyday Ethics
    • Health Policy
    • Legal Matters
    • Letter From the Editor
    • Medical Education
    • Online Exclusives
    • Practice Management
    • Resident Focus
    • Rx: Wellness
    • Special Reports
    • Tech Talk
    • Viewpoint
    • What’s Your O.R. Playlist?
  • Literature Reviews
    • Allergy
    • Facial Plastic/Reconstructive
    • Head and Neck
    • Laryngology
    • Otology/Neurotology
    • Pediatric
    • Rhinology
    • Sleep Medicine
  • Events
    • Featured Events
    • TRIO Meetings
  • Contact Us
    • About Us
    • Editorial Board
    • Triological Society
    • Advertising Staff
    • Subscribe
  • Advertise
    • Place an Ad
    • Classifieds
    • Rate Card
  • Search

California Seeks More Sleep for Students with Delayed School Start Times

December 17, 2019

  • Tweet
  • Email
Print-Friendly Version

credit: Getty Images

In October, California passed the first law in the nation mandating later school start times for middle and high school students. Scheduled to be phased in over time, the law requires public middle schools to begin classes at 8 a.m. or later and high schools to start no earlier than 8:30 a.m.

You Might Also Like

  • Insufficient Sleep May Play Significant Role in Development of Alzheimer’s
  • Variation in Apnea Hypopnea Index (AHI) Methods Interferes with Diagnosis, Treatment of Obstructive Sleep Apnea
  • Snoring Associated with Negative Sleep Behaviors, Health Conditions
  • Health Reform Hits Sleep: Speakers encourage specialists to get involved in initiatives

The later start times are designed to offer teens the additional sleep time they need for optimal health and wellbeing. In 2017, the American Academy of Sleep Medicine (AASM) published a position statement supported by several medical societies, including the American Academy of Pediatrics, recommending delaying school start times.2 According to sleep experts, teenagers aged 13-18 need 8-10 hours of sleep daily, but most get less than that. The consequences of insufficient sleep are well documented and include poor school performance, increased mood problems, obesity, athletic injuries, and safety issues such as unhealthy risk-taking behaviors and an increased risk of car accidents.

Carol Rosen, MD, member of the AASM Board of Directors, explained that delaying school start times makes sense because getting more sleep on the opposite end, by having teens go to bed earlier in the evening, does not match their biological clocks. Dr. Rosen is medical director of pediatric sleep services at University Hospitals Rainbow Babies & Children’s Hospital in Cleveland, Ohio.

“Teens have a shift in their biological clock,” she said. “This shift results in teens not being able to fall asleep earlier, so if you couple that with early school start times it is a recipe for problems.” Data show that teens typically have difficulty falling asleep before 11:00 p.m. because of delayed circadian rhythm in puberty that contributes to later sleep onset, according to the AASM.

Dr. Rosen said otolaryngologists should ask patients about their sleep schedules. “When you’re doing an evaluation of a child who is sleepy and having trouble waking up, but they aren’t snoring and their tonsils are not big, the source of the sleepiness may be that they aren’t getting enough sleep,” she said. Adjusting school start time is one of the biggest modifiable variables available to address this, she added.

Communities that have already implemented delayed school start times have reported improved outcomes for children. One study of 30,000 high school students enrolled in 29 schools found that school attendance rates and graduation rates improved significantly in schools that delayed starting times to 8:30 a.m. or later.

—Mary Beth Nierengarten

Pages: 1 2 | Multi-Page

Filed Under: News, Online Exclusives

You Might Also Like:

  • Insufficient Sleep May Play Significant Role in Development of Alzheimer’s
  • Variation in Apnea Hypopnea Index (AHI) Methods Interferes with Diagnosis, Treatment of Obstructive Sleep Apnea
  • Snoring Associated with Negative Sleep Behaviors, Health Conditions
  • Health Reform Hits Sleep: Speakers encourage specialists to get involved in initiatives

The Triological SocietyENTtoday is a publication of The Triological Society.

The Laryngoscope
Ensure you have all the latest research at your fingertips; Subscribe to The Laryngoscope today!

Laryngoscope Investigative Otolaryngology
Open access journal in otolaryngology – head and neck surgery is currently accepting submissions.

Classifieds

View the classified ads »

TRIO Best Practices

View the TRIO Best Practices »

Top Articles for Residents

  • Do Training Programs Give Otolaryngology Residents the Necessary Tools to Do Productive Research?
  • Why More MDs, Medical Residents Are Choosing to Pursue Additional Academic Degrees
  • What Physicians Need to Know about Investing Before Hiring a Financial Advisor
  • Tips to Help You Regain Your Sense of Self
  • Should USMLE Step 1 Change from Numeric Score to Pass/Fail?
  • Popular this Week
  • Most Popular
  • Most Recent
    • The Dramatic Rise in Tongue Tie and Lip Tie Treatment
    • Vertigo in the Elderly: What Does It Mean?
    • Experts Delve into Treatment Options for Laryngopharyngeal Reflux
    • Weaning Patients Off of PPIs
    • Some Laryngopharyngeal Reflux Resists PPI Treatment
    • Vertigo in the Elderly: What Does It Mean?
    • New Developments in the Management of Eustachian Tube Dysfunction
    • Some Laryngopharyngeal Reflux Resists PPI Treatment
    • Eustachian Tuboplasty: A Potential New Option for Chronic Tube Dysfunction and Patulous Disease
    • The Dramatic Rise in Tongue Tie and Lip Tie Treatment
    • Podcasts Becoming More Popular Method of Education for Otolaryngologists
    • How to Embrace Optimism in the Midst of the COVID-19 Pandemic
    • Tips on How to Approach Conversations with Patients about the COVID-19 Vaccine
    • Steps You Should Take to Protect Your Voice and Hearing During Telemedicine Sessions
    • Routine Postoperative Adjunct Treatments Unnecessary for Idiopathic Cerebrospinal Fluid Leaks

Polls

Have you spoken with your patients about receiving the COVID-19 vaccine?

View Results

Loading ... Loading ...
  • Polls Archive
  • Home
  • Contact Us
  • Advertise
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of Use

Visit: The Triological Society • The Laryngoscope • Laryngoscope Investigative Otolaryngology

Wiley
© 2021 The Triological Society. All Rights Reserved.
ISSN 1559-4939

loading Cancel
Post was not sent - check your email addresses!
Email check failed, please try again
Sorry, your blog cannot share posts by email.
This site uses cookies: Find out more.