Teens and their teachers know well that early-morning classes can be tiring. Doctors now have a solution: for better teen health, push the sleep button on school start times. Janet Croft, who studies teens and sleep at the Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention(CDC)in Atlanta high schools, says, “Most teens are actually brain dead when they go to these early classes. Too many students start their day as walking zombies(僵尸).”
One report stresses the importance of sleep for teens and describes the dangers from not getting enough sleep. Studies in the past have shown over and over that teens lacking sleep face higher risks of being overweight and being frustrated.
Many teens get too little sleep because they attend middle and high schools that start earlier than 8:30 am. According to the American Academy of Pediatrics(AAP),those early start times throw off a student's internal body rhythm, called the circadian clock(生物钟).Too little sleep disturbs that clock and causes problems.
The study conducted by the National Sleep Foundation found that nearly 6 in every 10 middle school students and 9 in 10 high school students are sleeping too little. Yet many parents aren't aware of this. In the same study,7 of every 10 parents said they believed their kids did sleep enough. That study shows too many parents are unaware of the science on teen-sleep needs, says Owens.
Kyla Wahlstrom, a former teacher, who has spent a lot of time with teens lacking sleep, says: “An incredible number of students are either sleeping at their desks or sitting there like a lump, not asking questions or raising their hands.”
Getting enough sleep can help a teen on the inside, too. Several studies have shown that children and teenagers who don't sleep enough are more likely to become obese, or extremely overweight. Teens lacking sleep also are more likely to suffer from anxiety, depression and mood disorders. It's time to recognize how important sleep is, particularly to teenagers.
