Reply to Start High School Later in Montgomery County Movement and Petition

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Reply to "Start High School Later in Montgomery County Movement and Petition"

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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]
Here is the petition link:
[/url](http://signon.org/sign/changing-montgomery-county)

Sleep doctors have discovered that as children age and reach their teens, there is a change in their sleep pattern. Hormonal changes, physical growth, and brain development all change the sleep cycles in teens. Prior to adolescence, children become sleepy at 8 or 9 o'clock. But teens may not experience sleepiness until 11 o'clock or even later.

Teens need about 9 hours sleep each night...many teens need up to 10 hours.  Most teens aren't getting anywhere near this. The National Sleep Foundation estimates that only 15% of teens get that much.

[b]Effects of Teen Sleep Deprivation
1.	Traffic accidents. Over 80,000 people in America fall asleep while driving...every day! Studies find over 50% of those people are teenage drivers. 
2.	Excessive sleepiness during the daytime. In a study in Pediatrics (June 2009), 33% of teens reported falling asleep in school.
3.	Increased stress. Teens have a lot going on in their lives. Homework, after school jobs, keeping up with gossip with friends, and after school activities. The more they take on, the more sleep they cut out. The more sleep they cut out, the sleepier they get. This has profound consequences on physical health, especially with the immune system. 
4.	High blood pressure . A study the science journal Circulation (August 19, 2008, by Dr. Susan Redline), reports that teens who do not get enough sleep––or do not sleep well––have a greater risk for hypertension. 
5.	Decreased memory and ability to learn. Sleep deprivation doesn't help students learn to their best ability.
6.	Lack of control. Sleep deprived teens appear to have a more difficult time controlling their emotions and behavior.
7.	Increased rates of depression and suicidal thoughts.   		 8. Also proven to contribute to obesity.

(Startschoollater.net – Tons of great info. and the National Petition!)
[/quote]

Have you called up China, Japan, India and Russia and told them your findings? Their kids are study/work machines! Easily getting half of the 9 hours you pose and double the high test scores.[/quote]

So the goal should be to emulate these countries? Or is the goal to come up with a plan that works for the majortity of adolescents in the U.S.? Why is it that in every debate we have people arguing "If it's good enough for China, India, etc it's good enough for us?" Or "If it was good enough several generations ago, then it's good enough for us." And does this same reasoning apply when we ponder what's best for the adults, or just when it comes to kids? Honestly, I don't think the competitive standing of the U.S. economy hinges on whether we start school at 7 or 8 am. Personally, I'd rather see schools end a bit later, say 3 or 3:30. I'd also like to see a longer school day which allows for more free time to study, seek extra help, etc., in school. My kids attended a private high school with this sort of schedule and I thought it worked very well.[/quote]

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