CDC: Teens Aren't Sleeping Enough Because Class Starts Way Too Early in the Morning

Not only are teens not sleeping enough, but their classes start too early. "I told you," says millions of teens across the country.

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Remember that argument you used to have with your mom? "Get up," she would say. "It's time to get ready for school." You would wake up long enough to press play on a brazen Eminem mix at a tastefully low volume before falling back asleep. "Get up," your mom would say again, this time during the final verse of "Stan." Then, she pulls the ultimate power move by flipping on the bedroom light. "It's too early," you most definitely would say in your final act of defiance.

Whether you had that argument five years ago or earlier this morning, you can now take mild solace in the fact the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention are finally taking a stand for the Too Early crew. "Getting enough sleep is important for students' health, safety, and academic performance," says Anne Wheaton, epidemiologist in CDC's Division of Population Health. "Early school start times, however, are preventing many adolescents from getting the sleep they need." Wheaton's statements accompany new research from the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) that has determined that adolescents are "biologically programmed to stay asleep longer than adults."

This chronic lack of sleep, says the CDC, will continue to contribute heavily to the rise of obesity and various substance dependencies. Though the AAP urged schools to adopt their recommended start time of 8:30 a.m. in 2014, only 17.7 percent of schools have agreed to the shift thus far. For students attending one of the schools within that esteemed 17.7 percent group, enjoy the extended early morning Eminem mixes. Also, enjoy the weed.

 

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