Waking up for school can be challenging after a summer of sleeping in. Dr. Joanna Fong-Isariyawongse, a sleep expert from UPMC and the University of Pittsburgh, argues that many schools need to adjust their start times to better match students’ natural sleep patterns.
While the excitement of a new school year may provide a burst of energy, the reality is that many students, especially teenagers, struggle to wake up early. This struggle is often due to not getting the recommended eight to ten hours of sleep each night.
Dr. Fong-Isariyawongse explains that puberty shifts students’ natural sleep-wake cycles, making it difficult for them to fall asleep before 11 p.m. “The natural sleep-wake cycle changes during puberty due to hormonal shifts in the brain, which can make early school start times problematic for teenagers,” she says.
The American Academy of Pediatrics and the CDC suggest that middle and high schools should begin no earlier than 8:30 a.m. In Pennsylvania, 40 school districts have adjusted their start times in the past decade. For example, Pittsburgh Public Schools moved its start time from 7:15 a.m. to 7:40 a.m. last year. Hampton High School and Woodland Hills High School have also made similar changes.
Despite these efforts, only 13% of high schools nationwide start after 8:30 a.m. “Early school start times force students to wake up before their bodies are ready, leading to chronic sleep deprivation,” Dr. Fong-Isariyawongse notes. “This impacts their academic performance, mental health, and overall safety.”
Research indicates that sleep-deprived students struggle with learning and face higher risks of health issues, including sports injuries and frequent illnesses. “If parents, teachers, and community members knew that something would harm a child’s health and performance, they would reject it,” says Dr. Fong-Isariyawongse. “That’s why it’s crucial to take action to protect our children’s health and future.”
To support their children, parents can advocate for later school start times in their districts and help teenagers get adequate sleep by reducing screen time before bed. Using blue light filters on devices or blue light glasses can also be beneficial. Dr. Fong-Isariyawongse advises setting a realistic homework schedule and catching up on sleep over the weekends, though she recommends maintaining some consistency in sleep-wake times.
A bill currently before the Pennsylvania House of Representatives seeks to align school start times with national standards by the 2026-27 school year. For younger children, ages 6 to 13, the recommended sleep duration is nine to eleven hours per night.
