Kids Considered™

Kids Considered™


Teen Sleep and School Start Times

October 15, 2018

Parents may be perplexed that their teenagers always seem to be sleepy in the morning. Why don't they go to sleep earlier so that they can wake up well rested in time for school? Are they lazy, maybe they just can't plan ahead, or are there biologic factors at play? What are the consequences of sleep-deprived teens? Would later school start times be beneficial for teens, or would teens just stay up later? What are the financial implications of changing to later school start times? These questions and more are discussed by Dr. Dean and Dr. Lena.


This episode written by Dr. Dean Blumberg and Dr. Lena Rothstein.


Supplemental material:



  • American Academy of Pediatrics School Start Times for Adolescents Policy Statement
  • Centers for Disease Control and Prevention “Schools Start Too Early”
  • Sacramento Bee – School start times legislation article