Delaying high school start times by as little as 10 minutes can increase adolescents’ length of sleep by almost 25 minutes, says new Brock-led research.
Similarly, shifts to earlier start times for secondary school were associated with less sleep among the students, says the study, “School start time changes in the COMPASS study: associations with youth sleep duration, physical activity, and screen time.”
Lead author, Brock Assistant Professor of Health Sciences Karen Patte, says the results are significant because at least one-third of adolescents don’t get the recommended eight to 10 hours of sleep.
“Sleep deficiency increases the risk of various health concerns and risk behaviours, such as substance use, lower academic achievement, poor mental health, accidents and injuries, obesity and unhealthy eating habits,” says Patte.
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