WEBVTT 00:00:00.531 --> 00:00:02.791 It's six o'clock in the morning, 00:00:02.791 --> 00:00:04.577 pitch black outside. 00:00:04.871 --> 00:00:08.180 My 14-year-old son is fast asleep in his bed, 00:00:08.180 --> 00:00:11.491 sleeping the reckless, deep sleep of a teenager. 00:00:12.045 --> 00:00:16.331 I flip on the light and physically shake the poor boy awake, 00:00:16.331 --> 00:00:17.485 because I know that, 00:00:17.485 --> 00:00:19.028 like ripping off a Band-Aid, 00:00:19.028 --> 00:00:21.168 it's better to get it over with quickly. 00:00:21.168 --> 00:00:22.171 (Laughter) 00:00:22.431 --> 00:00:26.954 I have a friend who yells "fire" just to rouse her sleeping teen. 00:00:27.253 --> 00:00:29.333 And another who got so fed up 00:00:29.333 --> 00:00:32.106 that she had to dump cold water on her son's head 00:00:32.106 --> 00:00:34.081 just to get him out of bed. 00:00:34.862 --> 00:00:36.630 Sound brutal ... 00:00:36.630 --> 00:00:38.731 but perhaps familiar? 00:00:39.805 --> 00:00:42.728 Every morning I ask myself, 00:00:42.728 --> 00:00:44.355 "How can I -- 00:00:44.355 --> 00:00:46.174 knowing what I know, 00:00:46.174 --> 00:00:48.668 and doing what I do for a living -- 00:00:48.668 --> 00:00:50.893 be doing this to my own son?" 00:00:51.294 --> 00:00:52.523 You see, 00:00:52.523 --> 00:00:54.392 I'm a sleep researcher. 00:00:54.392 --> 00:00:56.061 (Laughter) 00:00:56.583 --> 00:00:58.479 So I know far too much about sleep, 00:00:58.479 --> 00:01:00.593 and the consequences of sleep loss. 00:01:01.019 --> 00:01:05.267 I know that I'm depriving my son of the sleep he desparately needs 00:01:05.267 --> 00:01:07.361 as a rapidly growing teenager. 00:01:07.658 --> 00:01:09.816 I also know that by waking him up 00:01:09.816 --> 00:01:14.588 hours before his natural biological clock tells him he's ready, 00:01:14.588 --> 00:01:17.669 I'm literally robbing him of his dreams -- 00:01:17.669 --> 00:01:23.320 the type of sleep most associated with learning, memory consolidation 00:01:23.320 --> 00:01:25.830 and emotional processing. 00:01:26.057 --> 00:01:28.971 But it's not just my kid that's being deprived of sleep. 00:01:30.022 --> 00:01:33.772 Sleep deprivation among American teenagers is an epidemic. 00:01:34.605 --> 00:01:39.163 Only about one in 10 gets the eight to 10 hours of sleep per night 00:01:39.163 --> 00:01:42.080 recommended by sleep scientists and pediatricians. 00:01:43.478 --> 00:01:45.094 If you're thinking to yourself, 00:01:45.094 --> 00:01:46.654 "Phew, we're doing good, 00:01:46.654 --> 00:01:48.694 my kid's getting eight hours," 00:01:48.694 --> 00:01:49.839 remember, 00:01:49.839 --> 00:01:53.382 eight hours is the minimum recommendation ... 00:01:53.382 --> 00:01:55.027 you're barely passing. 00:01:55.335 --> 00:01:58.264 Eight hours is kind of like getting a C on your report card. 00:01:59.122 --> 00:02:02.886 There are many factors contributing to this epidemic, 00:02:02.886 --> 00:02:07.478 but a major factor preventing teens from getting the sleep they need 00:02:07.478 --> 00:02:10.054 is actually a matter of public policy. 00:02:10.309 --> 00:02:14.574 Not hormones, social lives or Snapchat. 00:02:15.644 --> 00:02:16.945 Across the country, 00:02:16.945 --> 00:02:21.969 many schools are starting around 7:30 a.m. or earlier, 00:02:21.969 --> 00:02:26.098 despite the fact that major medical organizations recommend 00:02:26.098 --> 00:02:30.738 that middle and high school start no earlier than 8:30 a.m. 00:02:31.336 --> 00:02:35.485 These early start policies have a direct effect on how much -- 00:02:35.485 --> 00:02:40.114 or really how little sleep American teenagers are getting. 00:02:40.784 --> 00:02:44.844 They're also pitting teenagers and their parents 00:02:44.844 --> 00:02:48.618 in a fundamentally unwinnable fight against their own bodies. 00:02:49.582 --> 00:02:51.515 Around the time of puberty, 00:02:51.515 --> 00:02:55.286 teenagers experience a delay in their biological clock, 00:02:55.286 --> 00:02:59.397 which determines when we feel most awake and when we feel most sleepy. 00:02:59.731 --> 00:03:03.859 This is driven in part by a shift in the release of the hormone melatonin. 00:03:04.231 --> 00:03:09.870 Teenagers' bodies wait to start releasing melatonin until around 11 p.m., 00:03:09.870 --> 00:03:13.957 which is two hours later than what we see in adults or younger children. 00:03:16.049 --> 00:03:22.185 This means that waking a teenager up at 6 a.m. is the biological equivalent 00:03:22.185 --> 00:03:25.600 of waking an adult up at 4 a.m. 00:03:26.095 --> 00:03:30.078 On the unfortunate days when I have to wake up at 4 a.m., 00:03:30.078 --> 00:03:31.524 I'm a zombie. 00:03:31.524 --> 00:03:33.217 Functionally useless. 00:03:33.217 --> 00:03:34.936 I can't think straight, 00:03:34.936 --> 00:03:36.376 I'm irritable 00:03:36.376 --> 00:03:39.997 and I probably shouldn't be driving a car, 00:03:39.997 --> 00:03:44.151 but this is how many American teenagers feel every single school day. 00:03:44.497 --> 00:03:46.437 In fact, many of the -- 00:03:46.437 --> 00:03:47.595 shall we say, 00:03:47.595 --> 00:03:51.999 unpleasant characteristics that we chalk up to being a teenagers -- 00:03:51.999 --> 00:03:55.555 moodiness, irritability, laziness, depression -- 00:03:55.555 --> 00:03:58.750 could be a product of chronic sleep deprivation. 00:03:59.243 --> 00:04:02.172 For many teens battling chronic sleep loss, 00:04:02.172 --> 00:04:07.689 their go-to strategy to compensate is consuming large quantities of caffeine 00:04:07.689 --> 00:04:09.882 in the form of venti frappucinnos, 00:04:09.882 --> 00:04:11.733 or energy drinks and shots. 00:04:12.381 --> 00:04:13.742 So essentially, 00:04:13.742 --> 00:04:19.316 we've got an entire population of tired but wired youth. 00:04:21.874 --> 00:04:25.569 Advocates of sleep-friendly start times know 00:04:25.569 --> 00:04:29.255 that adolescence is a period of dramatic brain development, 00:04:29.255 --> 00:04:31.147 particularly in the parts of the brain 00:04:31.147 --> 00:04:34.761 that are responsible for those higher order thinking processes, 00:04:34.761 --> 00:04:38.895 including reasoning, problem-solving and good judgment. 00:04:39.422 --> 00:04:40.471 In other words, 00:04:40.471 --> 00:04:42.840 the very type of brain activity that's responsible 00:04:42.840 --> 00:04:47.330 for reining in those impulsive and often risky behaviors 00:04:47.330 --> 00:04:50.394 that are so characteristic of adolescence 00:04:50.394 --> 00:04:54.292 and that are so terrifying to us parents of teenagers. 00:04:54.690 --> 00:04:56.835 They know that like the rest of us, 00:04:56.835 --> 00:04:59.308 when teenagers don't get the sleep they need, 00:04:59.308 --> 00:05:02.489 their brains, their bodies and behaviors suffer 00:05:02.489 --> 00:05:05.084 with both immediate and lasting effects. 00:05:05.382 --> 00:05:07.333 They can't concentrate, 00:05:07.333 --> 00:05:09.376 their attention plummets 00:05:09.376 --> 00:05:13.418 and many will even show behavioral signs that mimic ADHD. 00:05:14.623 --> 00:05:19.066 But the consequences of teen sleep loss go well beyond the classroom, 00:05:19.066 --> 00:05:22.793 sadly contributing to many of the mental health problems 00:05:22.793 --> 00:05:25.440 that skyrocket during adolescence, 00:05:25.440 --> 00:05:27.380 including substance use, 00:05:27.380 --> 00:05:29.961 depression and suicide. 00:05:30.589 --> 00:05:33.912 In our work with teens from LA Unified School District, 00:05:33.912 --> 00:05:36.092 we found that teens with sleep problems 00:05:36.092 --> 00:05:40.626 were 55 percent more likely to have used alcohol in the past month. 00:05:41.354 --> 00:05:45.270 In another study with over 30,000 high school students, 00:05:45.270 --> 00:05:48.989 they found that for each hour of lost sleep, 00:05:48.989 --> 00:05:53.658 there was a 38 percent increase in feeling sad or hopeless, 00:05:53.658 --> 00:05:57.421 and a 58 percent increase in teen suicide attempts. 00:05:58.764 --> 00:06:01.262 And if that's not enough, 00:06:01.262 --> 00:06:03.850 teens who skip out on sleep are at increased risk 00:06:03.850 --> 00:06:07.756 for a host of physical health problems that plague our country, 00:06:07.756 --> 00:06:12.043 including obesity, heart disease and diabetes. 00:06:12.998 --> 00:06:16.010 Then there's the risk of putting a sleep-deprived teen, 00:06:16.010 --> 00:06:18.582 with a newly minted driver's license, 00:06:18.582 --> 00:06:20.232 behind the wheel. 00:06:20.474 --> 00:06:25.102 Studies have shown that getting five hours or less of sleep per night 00:06:25.102 --> 00:06:30.706 is the equivalent of driving with a blood alcohol content above the legal limit. 00:06:36.473 --> 00:06:39.055 Advocates of sleep-friendly start times, 00:06:39.190 --> 00:06:41.094 and researchers in this area, 00:06:41.261 --> 00:06:44.036 have produced tremendous science, 00:06:44.208 --> 00:06:46.867 showing the tremendous benefits of later start times. 00:06:47.191 --> 00:06:49.523 The findings are unequivocal, 00:06:49.687 --> 00:06:51.215 and as a sleep scientist, 00:06:51.386 --> 00:06:54.205 I rarely get to speak with that kind of certainty. 00:06:55.408 --> 00:06:58.916 Teens from districts with later start times get more sleep. 00:06:59.292 --> 00:07:02.815 To the naysayers who may think that if schools start later, 00:07:02.992 --> 00:07:05.265 teens will just stay up later, 00:07:05.457 --> 00:07:06.493 the truth is, 00:07:06.698 --> 00:07:08.442 their bedtimes stay the same, 00:07:08.609 --> 00:07:10.659 but their wake-up times get extended, 00:07:10.860 --> 00:07:13.084 resulting in more sleep. 00:07:13.641 --> 00:07:15.978 They're more likely to show up for school; 00:07:16.154 --> 00:07:19.948 school absences dropped by 25 percent in one district. 00:07:20.112 --> 00:07:22.402 And they're less likely to dropout. 00:07:22.625 --> 00:07:25.789 Not surprisingly, they do better academically. 00:07:26.042 --> 00:07:30.044 So this has real implications for reducing the achievement gap. 00:07:30.881 --> 00:07:33.460 Standardized test scores in math and reading 00:07:33.621 --> 00:07:36.528 go up by two to three percentage points. 00:07:36.731 --> 00:07:42.189 That's as powerful as reducing class sizes by one-third fewer students, 00:07:42.352 --> 00:07:45.383 or replacing a so-so teacher in the classroom 00:07:45.562 --> 00:07:47.763 with a truly outstanding one. 00:07:48.711 --> 00:07:51.262 Their mental and physical health improves, 00:07:51.449 --> 00:07:53.544 and even their families are happier. 00:07:53.736 --> 00:07:58.462 I mean, who wouldn't enjoy a little more pleasantness from our teens, 00:07:58.596 --> 00:08:00.829 and a little less crankiness? 00:08:01.316 --> 00:08:03.232 Even their communities are safer 00:08:03.393 --> 00:08:05.745 because car crash rates go down -- 00:08:05.909 --> 00:08:08.706 a 70 percent reduction in one district. 00:08:09.774 --> 00:08:12.090 Given these tremendous benefits, 00:08:12.256 --> 00:08:13.497 you might think, 00:08:13.675 --> 00:08:15.742 well, this is a no-brainer, right? 00:08:16.195 --> 00:08:20.188 So why have we as a society failed to heed this call? 00:08:21.897 --> 00:08:26.263 Often the argument against later start times goes something like this: 00:08:26.391 --> 00:08:28.643 "Why should we delay start times for teenagers? 00:08:28.814 --> 00:08:31.714 We need to toughen them up so they're ready for the real world!" 00:08:32.487 --> 00:08:35.316 But that's like saying to the parent of a two-year-old, 00:08:35.498 --> 00:08:36.931 "Don't let Johnny nap, 00:08:37.099 --> 00:08:39.121 or he won't be ready for kindergarten." 00:08:39.487 --> 00:08:40.747 (Laughter) 00:08:42.143 --> 00:08:45.732 Delaying start times also presents many logistical challenges. 00:08:46.017 --> 00:08:48.389 Not just for students and their families, 00:08:48.591 --> 00:08:50.830 but for communities as a whole. 00:08:51.033 --> 00:08:52.484 Updating bus routes, 00:08:52.648 --> 00:08:54.224 increased transportation costs, 00:08:54.743 --> 00:08:56.000 impact on sports, 00:08:56.215 --> 00:08:58.286 care before or after school. 00:08:58.580 --> 00:09:03.134 These are the same concerns that come up in district after district, 00:09:03.275 --> 00:09:05.107 time and again around the country 00:09:05.287 --> 00:09:07.308 as school start times are debated. 00:09:08.267 --> 00:09:10.925 And they're legitimate concerns, 00:09:11.091 --> 00:09:13.834 but these are problems we have to work through. 00:09:14.393 --> 00:09:20.230 They're not valid excuses for failing to do the right thing for our children, 00:09:20.361 --> 00:09:24.816 which is to start middle and high schools no earlier than 8:30 a.m. 00:09:26.006 --> 00:09:27.885 And in districts around the country, 00:09:28.049 --> 00:09:28.722 big and small, 00:09:28.948 --> 00:09:30.569 who have made this change, 00:09:30.751 --> 00:09:34.434 they found that these fears are often unfounded, 00:09:34.599 --> 00:09:38.852 and far outweighed by the tremendous benefits for student health 00:09:39.028 --> 00:09:40.586 and performance, 00:09:40.802 --> 00:09:43.620 and our collective public safety. 00:09:44.537 --> 00:09:46.226 So tomorrow morning, 00:09:46.437 --> 00:09:51.083 when coincidentally we get to set our clocks back by an hour, 00:09:52.037 --> 00:09:56.512 and you get that delicious extra hour of sleep, 00:09:57.548 --> 00:10:00.385 and they day seems a little longer, 00:10:00.513 --> 00:10:03.137 and a little more full of hope, 00:10:03.265 --> 00:10:07.105 think about the tremendous power of sleep. 00:10:07.833 --> 00:10:10.471 And think about what a gift it would be 00:10:10.663 --> 00:10:14.486 for our children to be able to wake up naturally, 00:10:14.645 --> 00:10:16.939 in harmony with their own biology. 00:10:17.695 --> 00:10:18.950 Thank you, 00:10:18.950 --> 00:10:19.929 and pleasant dreams.