Schools Start Too Early: Sleep and Sleep Disorders

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Schools Start Too Early

Updated October 5, 2022
Learn how starting school later can help adolescents get enough sleep and improve their health, academic performance, and
quality of life.
Not getting enough sleep is common among

high school students and is associated with
several health risks including being
overweight, drinking alcohol, smoking
tobacco, and using drugs, as well as poor
academic performance. One of the reasons
adolescents do not get enough sleep is early
school start times. The American Academy
of Pediatrics has recommended that
middle and high schools start at 8:30 a.m. or
later to give students the opportunity to get
the amount of sleep they need, but most
American adolescents start school too early.
According to the 2014 School Health Policies and Practices Study [PDF 1,944 KB], 93% of high schools and 83% of middle
schools in the U.S. started before 8:30 a.m.
According to an earlier CDC study that analyzed US Department of Education data from the 2011-2012 school year:
42 states reported that most (75%-100%) public middle and high schools started before 8:30 a.m.
The percentage of schools starting at 8:30 a.m. or later varied greatly by state. For example,
No schools in Hawaii, Mississippi, and Wyoming started after 8:30 a.m.
Most schools in North Dakota (78%) and Alaska (76%) started after 8:30 a.m.
Adolescents and Sleep

The American Academy of Sleep Medicine [PDF 221KB] recommends that
teenagers aged 13 to 18 years should regularly sleep 8 to 10 hours per day for
good health. Adolescents who do not get enough sleep are more likely to
Be overweight.
Not engage in daily physical activity.
Getting enough sleep can improve
Su er from symptoms of depression.
academic performance.
Engage in unhealthy risk behaviors such as drinking, smoking tobacco, and
using illicit drugs.
Perform poorly in school.
During puberty, adolescents become sleepy later at night and need to sleep later
in the morning as a result in shifts in biological rhythms.1 These biological changes
are often combined with poor sleep habits (including irregular bedtimes and the
presence of electronics in the bedroom).2 During the school week, school start
times are the main reason students wake up when they do.3 The combination of
late bedtimes and early school start times results in most adolescents not getting
enough sleep.
Everyone Can Play an Important Role

Parents
Model and encourage habits that help promote good sleep:

Set a regular bedtime and rise time, including on weekends. This is recommended for everyone— children,
adolescents, and adults alike. Adolescents with parent-set bedtimes usually get more sleep than those whose
parents do not set bedtimes.
Dim the lighting. Adolescents who are exposed to more light (such as room lighting or from electronics) in the
evening are less likely to get enough sleep.
Start a “media curfew”. Technology use (computers, video gaming, or mobile phones) may also contribute to late
bedtimes. Parents should consider banning technology use after a certain time or removing these technologies
from the bedroom.
Contact local school o cials about later school start times. Some commonly mentioned barriers to keep in mind are
potential increases in transportation costs and scheduling di culties.
Health care professionals
Educate adolescent patients and their parents about the importance of adequate sleep and factors that contribute to
insu cient sleep among adolescents.
School o cials
Learn more about the research connecting sleep and school start times. Good sleep hygiene in combination with later
school times will enable adolescents to be healthier and better academic achievers.
More Information
CDC’s Sleep and Sleep Disorders Program

American Academy of Sleep Medicine: Help your teen recharge with sleep
National Healthy Sleep Awareness Project: #SleepRechargesYou Campaign
References
1. Crowley SJ, Acebo C, Carskadon MA. Sleep, circadian rhythms, and delayed phase in adolescence. Sleep Med.
2007;8:602–12.
2. Bartel KA, Gradisar M, Williamson P. Protective and risk factors for adolescent sleep: a meta-analytic review. Sleep
Med Rev. 2014;21:72–85.
3. Knutson KL, Lauderdale DS. Sociodemographic and behavioral predictors of bed time and wake time among US
adolescents aged 15 to 17 years. J Pediatr. 2009;154:426–30, 30 e1.
Last Reviewed: October 5, 2022

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Español | Other Languages

Sleep and Sleep Disorders

Schools Start Too Early

Not getting enough sleep is common among

Adolescents and Sleep

Everyone Can Play an Important Role

Model and encourage habits that help promote good sleep:

Health care professionals

CDC’s Sleep and Sleep Disorders Program

Last Reviewed: October 5, 2022

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