Regular readers know I’ve been concerned with adolescent sleep deprivation, and the effects on schooling. The issue:

• Adolescents need more sleep than either younger children or adults. Their bodies are working hard.
• Their natural circadian rhythm is to stay up later and wake later than either younger children or adults. The effect is not culturally determined, although cultural factors (computers, TMing, phones) may turn out to play into the package. (If your brain says “I’m not tired,” and all your friends are up and talking….)
• Most U. S. secondary schools start earlier for teens, rather than later, as they should. The result is a surprisingly high rate of sleep deprivation in teen learners.

For details, see Walking Zombies – Adolescent Sleep Deprivation.

National Public Radio has offered an encouraging update on the topic, along with some advice on helping teens get better sleep.

Morning Edition, January 18, 2007
Most high schools begin their day around 7:30 a.m., which leaves many teenagers nodding off in the morning. In fact, at least 20 percent of high school students fall asleep in class on a typical day. The problem: Teenagers need a lot of sleep — about nine hours each night, experts say. And most of them aren’t getting enough….
According to the National Sleep Foundation, more than 80 school districts around the country have now made the change to start their high schools later. These districts range from large, urban school districts, such as Minneapolis and Denver, to suburban districts, such as Jessamine County in central Kentucky.