Health experts say if you don't snooze, you lose. They say teenagers actually do need their beauty sleep.
'Let them sleep!' said the nations largest pediatrician group, the American Academy of Pediatrics. Studies have shown that only one in five teens get nine hours of sleep on school nights, the recommended amount.
The AAP is urging schools to start high school and middle school classes at 8:30 a.m. or later. Lack of sleep in adolescents is shown to increase risk for obesity, stroke and Type 2 diabetes. There is even an increase in anxiety and depression, which can lead to risk-taking behaviors.
The AAP said naps and caffeine only temporarily counteract the lack of sleep, but it's not enough.
"Kids who, for example, take a biology class at 7:20 in the morning, if you compare that group of kids to kids that take that class at 10, 11 or 1 and then you give them all the same standardized tests, as a group the kids that take that class later in the day perform better," said Chief of Division of Pediatric Sleep Medicine Heidi Connolly.
With much controversy surrounding later start times at schools, there may be a long road ahead for teen sleep.
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