Study says teens need more sleep, school starts too early

If a teenager tells you school starts too early, they may be onto something.

According to a new study published by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, one in five middle schools and high schools in the United States start at 8:30 a.m. or earlier, which is depriving teens of the sleep they need. The average start time is 8:03 a.m.

“Getting enough sleep is important for students’ health, safety, and academic performance,” lead researcher Anne Wheaton, Ph.D., an epidemiologist in CDC’s Division of Population Health, said in a news release. “Early school start times, however, are preventing many adolescents from getting the sleep they need.”

FoxNews.com noted that the study was conducted by both the CDC and the U.S. Department of Education and used data from around 40,000 public schools during the 2011-2012 school year.

The study also noted that lack of sleep can affect a student’s academic performance and may lead to being overweight, smoking tobacco, and abusing drugs or alcohol.

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