It's a familiar scene in American schools. Teenagers struggling to stay awake in class. I just crave sleep sometimes. So two years ago Seattle Public Schools decided to push start time back almost an hour from 7:50 a.m. to 8:45 a.m. It is fantastic. In a new study by the university of washington researchers using activity watches to track sleep patterns of 10th graders. so this is sole activity. Found real benefits. I really like that you can see the pattern of their school day.
They got an average of 34 minutes more sleep per night, grades up by 4.5%, better attendance too. Teachers say at first some parents resisted the schedule change because it was throwing off their routines, but now they're hoping it's a wake-up call for other districts. It is so much more fun to teach kids who are more awake and more ready to talk about what they're learning. One school district, a lot less sleepless in Seattle.