More Zs for more As? Advocates push for later start to school days

If you fall asleep while reading this, it's probably a good thing.

Enjoy the nap.

Chances are you need it -- especially if you're a middle or high school student.

So says Stacy Simera, a Kent licensed social worker and communications director for Start Sleep Later, an organization that advocates for the chronically sleep-deprived teen.

According to statistics from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control, more than two-thirds of high school students sleep less than eight hours a day.

From ninth grade on, the number of sleepy teens continues to rise.

By 12th grade, more than three-fourths of students get less than eight hours a day. Research shows that they need nine hours of satisfying slumber. Some studies show teens averaging less than seven hours a night.

Simera says the effects are widespread on academics, athletics and health.

"If you have kids waking up at 5:30 or 6 a.m. when they should be waking at 8 a.m., it has some health ramifications," Simera said in a recent interview. "This is a public health risk."

Start Sleep Later was one of several groups that lent support to a California law banning school start times before 8:30 a.m.California Gov. Gavin Newsome signed the law into effect on Oct. 13.

Simera would like to see a similar law in Ohio, along the lines of one introduced on Oct. 15 by Ohio Sen. Sandra R. Williams, D, of Cleveland.

Senate Bill 218, like California's legislation, would ban starting times before 8:30 a.m. and would apply to district, charter and STEM schools. Although Williams' proposal reportedly is getting little support in the legislature, Simera says the research is clear on the benefits of, and need for, later starting times.

With the onset of adolescence, a shift in sleep patterns begins. By high school, the shift becomes most dramatic and continues into the 20s.

"Adolescents get their best sleep between 11 p.m. and 8 a.m.," Simera says. "[They] should get about nine hours of sleep."

Simera said a statewide law would be far superior to individual districts trying to shift start times forward.

There's a cost -- primarily from changing busing schedules -- associated with such a change, but the logistical consequences of even a slight switch has a domino effect throughout the day. And when the official school day is done, athletic and extracurricular scheduling with districts that have different start times can be a nightmare.

A state law like the one Simera's group advocated for in the California would lift much of the burden for individual districts, she believes.

"We need to stop asking local people to reinvent the wheel," Simera says.

Hudson City Schools Superintendent Phil Herman leads one of the few local districts that have shifted start times later. The district's middle school starts at 7:50 a.m., the high school at 8 a.m., and two elementary schools at 9 a.m. The middle and high schools used to start half an hour earlier.

Herman says the move took place in the 2010-2011 school year, "but that was after a multi-year study and recommendations made in 2009." Herman was intimately involved in the process before he became the district's leader.

During the study, Herman says, the magnitude of what the district wanted to do became evident.

"There are many components that go into consideration of start times," he said. "It's a significant challenge for any district to address."

California's law allows for an extended phase-in period, but Ohio's proposal doesn't have one in its current form. Herman said any legislation mandating later start times would have to have an extended period for study and planning before the changes are made.

"That would be essential," he says. "That districts would be given time to plan for any adjustments."

Despite the assorted hurdles to overcome, Herman says the effort for his district was worth it.

"We have not experienced any negative from the change in the start times," Herman said. "Some would argue that we should move it even further."

The superintendent recommends a community-wide effort for any district considering the move.

"I would tell them that that is worthy work and that can make a difference for students," he said. "I would also want them to go in with their eyes wide open that there are many logistical challenges. Plan to involve many different voices and plan to take some time."

Simera said that most professionals recognize the potential benefits of a later start time for students. The American Academy of Pediatricians' official policy supports later start times, teachers tend to support them and parents who struggle to get their youngsters off to bed are very aware of the changes.

Every hour less of necessary sleep can contribute to a host of health problems, including diabetes. With more sleep, both physical and mental health show improvement.

"[F]or every one hour extra sleep teens get, suicide risk [declines] 11 percent," Simera said.

It's just one more argument for a statewide change, Simera says.

"Humans don't like change. We naturally resist change," she says. "You have school board members that would like to make changes, but logistically it give them anxiety."

Alan Ashworth can be reached at 330-996-3859 or emailed at aashworth@thebeaconjournal.com. Follow him on Twitter at @newsalanbeaconjournal.

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