From the ArcaMax Publishing, Health & Fitness Newsletter:
http://www.arcamax.com/news/healthtips/s-362221-929071
BALTIMORE (UPI) -- U.S. researchers say high school students with
delayed school start time are less likely to report they are sleepy.
Students reported sleeping a mean of 7.03 hours per school night when
school started at 7:35 a.m. When school started at 8:15 a.m. the
students slept up to 33 minutes more per night. The amount of sleep
recommended for adolescents is 9 hours per night.
"Following a 40-minute delay in start time, the students utilized 83
percent of the extra time for sleep. This increase in sleep time came
as a result of being able to 'sleep in' to 6:53 a.m., with little
delay in their reported school night bedtime," the researchers said in
a statement. "This study demonstrates that students given the
opportunity to sleep longer, will, rather than extend their wake
activities on school nights."
Study author Dr. Zaw Htwe of Norwalk Hospital's Sleep Disorders Center
in Norwalk, Conn., focused on 259 high school students who completed
the condensed School Sleep Habits Questionnaire.
The findings were presented at the 22nd annual meeting of the
Associated Professional Sleep Societies in Baltimore.