Changing school start times benefits teenage students, expert says
PITTSBURGH (KDKA) -- Waking up for school can be a big change after sleeping in during the summer, but a UPMC sleep expert says more schools need to change their start time to work with kids' biological clocks.
Adrenaline kicks in on the first day with the excitement of a new school year, but after that, it's often tough, especially for teenagers, to wake up for school because they're not getting the recommended eight to 10 hours of sleep.
UPMC Neurologist Dr. Joanna Fong-Isariyawongse, a sleep expert at the University of Pittsburgh, says it's often hard for students to wake up because the school start times are out of sync with the natural rhythm of middle and high school students.
"One of the main reasons is that the natural sleep-wake cycle shifts during puberty, and that's through hormone changes in the brain, making it hard for teenagers to fall asleep before 11 p.m.," Dr. Fong-Isariyawongse says.
The American Academy of Pediatrics and the CDC recommend middle and high schools start no earlier than 8:30 a.m. Across Pennsylvania, 40 school districts have changed their high school start times to a later time in the last decade, including Pittsburgh Public Schools, which moved from 7:15 a.m. to 7:40 a.m. last year.
Some others that changed recently include Hampton High School moving from 7:30 a.m. to 8:20 a.m. and Woodland Hills High School shifting from 6:45 a.m. to 7:20 a.m. Nationally, only 13% of high schools start at the recommended time after 8:30 a.m.
"With most of our schools starting so early, they're forced to wake up before their bodies are ready, leading to a perpetual cycle of chronic sleep deprivation, and the consequences are serious. It affects their academic performance, mental health, and safety," Dr. Fong-Isariyawongse said.
Research shows kids who are sleep-deprived don't learn as well, and are more likely to have health challenges, including sports-related injuries and the common cold, among many other issues.
"If you ask any parents, teachers, coach, [or] community members if they would knowingly expose a child to something that would increase the risk for obesity, diabetes, risk-taking behavior, depression, lower academic performance, athletic performance, I'm sure they would say, 'Absolutely not!' without a second thought, Dr. Fong-Isariyawongse says. "That's why I think it's important for us to take action now to protect our children's health and future."
What can parents do?
Dr. Fong-Isariyawongse says you can start by advocating for later start times in your school district. You can also help your teenager get the recommended eight to 10 hours a night by limiting screen time before bed. If they must use a device, turn off the blue light or use blue light glasses. Dr. Fong-Isariyawongse also recommends setting a realistic homework schedule. Start early and do the work that requires a screen first. And use the weekends to catch up. While Dr. Fong-Isariyawongse normally recommends a consistent sleep schedule, this is an exception.
"I would advise parents and teens to find a balance that allows for some extra sleep on the weekend, but still maintains some degree of regularity in sleep-wake schedules," she says.
There's a bill before the Pennsylvania House of Representatives to delay school start times, following the national standards by the 2026-27 school year.
For parents with younger students, the recommended amount of sleep for kids ages 6 to 13 is nine to 11 hours per night.
