Parents Count Sheep Over Their Teen's Sleep

-Alexandra Metzler 

Parents worry over teen sleep.

Teenagers have heavy homework loads keeping them up past midnight while their classes begin at 8:00 a.m.

Sleep is scarce.

A new study by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) finds that pattern is not only dangerous -- it could be deadly.

Specifically, it found that teens who sleep less than seven hours were more likely to engage in risky behaviors -- such as texting or drinking and driving, or riding with a driver who was drinking – compared to teens who sleep nine hours per night.

"It was rather surprising to find such an impact of short sleep duration on these injury-related behaviors and suggests that sleep deprivation may play an important role in poor judgment and decision-making among adolescents," said Janet Croft, chief of the epidemiology and surveillance branch of the National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion.  

Schools are starting too early, not allowing teenagers to sleep.

Back in 2011, the CDC found that sleeping less than eight hours was associated with drug use, sexual activity, lack of exercise, and depression, especially depression.. Almost 70% of teens were not getting enough sleep.

Doctors grew so concerned about the impact of a lack of sleep on teens, that the American Academy of Pediatrics issued a policy statement in 2014 recommending that schools start no earlier than 8:30 a.m. so that teens can get the recommended 8.5 to 9.5 hours of sleep a night.

However, researchers from the CDC and the U.S. Department of Education found that, based on data from the 2011-2012 school year, only 18% of the schools surveyed started classes at the recommended time of 8:30 a.m. or later, while more than 80% started earlier. Students in Louisiana were found to go to school the earliest with an average start time of 7:40 a.m.

"The real issue at this point is that our society does not respect sleep, and we have grown-ups that brag about how, 'We can get on with five hours of sleep,' 'We can drink that Red Bull and soldier on,' 'Sleep is for wimps,' 'I'll get enough sleep when I'm dead,'" said Maribel Ibrahim, co-founder of Start School Later, a nonprofit focused on increasing public awareness about the relationship between sleep and school hours. "These are the statements that are horrifying, because really sleep is an essential third pillar of health."

A study by the University of Minnesotafound that schools with start times of 8:30 a.m. or later report improved academic performance in core areas such as math, English, science and social studies, better scores on state and national achievement tests, improved attendance and a reduction in tardiness.

Rock Bridge High School in Columbia, Missouri, moved up the start time for the school day from 7:50 a.m. to 8:55 a.m. at the beginning of the 2013-2014 school year.

“Evidence from parents does point to some improvement,” said Jennifer Rukstad, the school's principal.

"There was just lots and lots of complaining about the impact on the life of the family, and so once you kind of allowed that to get through, then if you would ask the parents what kind of impact has it had on your child as far as their affect and their performance. And everyone said, 'Oh, they're much easier to get along with,'" Rukstad said.

What can a parent do?

Researchers at the CDC say parents can encourage their children to practice good sleep habits, such as setting a regular bedtime and wake-up time, including on weekends, and limiting the use of devices such as computers, video games and cell phones in the bedroom after a certain hour.

"Parents may benefit themselves and their children by setting a good example," said Anne Wheaton, an epidemiologist with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and a co-author of the new study. 

"Adolescent sleep habits tend to reflect their parents' sleep habits."

The greatest thing parents can do to help their teens get more sleep, according to Ibrahim, is to get  educated on the issue of school start times. "Ironically, even well-meaning school districts that have attempted to implement school start times have gotten backlash from the community, from the parents, because the school districts are not the villains necessarily." 

"Really the enemy is ignorance," said Ibrahim. "The enemy is assuming, 'Oh this isn't that big a deal. Just turn off your devices at night and stop texting and all will be well.' That would be great if kids could get up at 7:30 in the morning, but it's not great when they still have to get up at 5:00."