Are Public School Kids Suffering From Sleep Deprivation?

A lack of sleep can have serious consequences in a school-age child's life. According to the American Academy of Pediatrics, it can affect not only their academic success but also their health and safety.

A study published in the Center for Disease Control's Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report found that fewer than one in five middle schools and high schools in the United States began their school days at or later than the recommended 8:30 a.m. start time during the 2011-2012 school year. It's a tough problem to solve for public schools, but it could be one reason that homeschooling has grown in popularity over the past decade.

The study was conducted by the CDC and the U.S. Department of Education. They reviewed data from nearly 40,000 public middle school and high schools and determined that the early start times made it nearly impossible for students to get the amount of sleep they need to function at proper levels. It is recommended that children get between 8.5 and 9.5 hours of sleep per night and schools that start before 8:30 a.m. do not allow that to consistently happen. The time it takes to travel to school, especially on public school bus systems makes the problem even worse.

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