June 13th, 2022
Starting School later leads to better overall sleep quality and quantity coupled to improved mood and scholastic outcomes. From a study in Pediatrics, "Specifically, new SSTs between 8:30 and 8:59 were associated with better outcomes than 8:00 to 8:29 start times. Later SSTs were more strongly associated with lower levels of sleepiness for high school (versus middle school) youth, and youth in private (versus public) schools reported better sleep and later wake times with later SSTs. Although this meta-analysis suggests an overall benefit of later SSTs, there was limited research to test outcomes such as sleep hygiene, naps, and behavioral and physical health outcomes." (Yin et. al. 2022)
When I think of kids in school, I find that I get very frustrated with the lack of effort put towards maximizing their long term success.
Starting school later makes complete sense to help these kids achieve. Having clean and fresh air in the classroom will help cognitive function. Providing nourishing foods during meal time is a necessary path to low inflammation and a healthy mind.
For the kids,
Dr. M
