1
00:00:00,531 --> 00:00:02,791
It's six o'clock in the morning,

2
00:00:02,791 --> 00:00:04,577
pitch black outside.

3
00:00:04,871 --> 00:00:08,180
My 14-year-old son
is fast asleep in his bed,

4
00:00:08,180 --> 00:00:11,491
sleeping the reckless,
deep sleep of a teenager.

5
00:00:12,045 --> 00:00:16,331
I flip on the light and physically shake
the poor boy awake,

6
00:00:16,331 --> 00:00:17,485
because I know that,

7
00:00:17,485 --> 00:00:19,028
like ripping off a Band-Aid,

8
00:00:19,028 --> 00:00:21,168
it's better to get it over with quickly.

9
00:00:21,168 --> 00:00:22,171
(Laughter)

10
00:00:22,431 --> 00:00:26,954
I have a friend who yells "fire"
just to rouse her sleeping teen.

11
00:00:27,253 --> 00:00:29,333
And another who got so fed up

12
00:00:29,333 --> 00:00:32,106
that she had to dump cold water
on her son's head

13
00:00:32,106 --> 00:00:34,081
just to get him out of bed.

14
00:00:34,862 --> 00:00:36,630
Sound brutal ...

15
00:00:36,630 --> 00:00:38,731
but perhaps familiar?

16
00:00:39,805 --> 00:00:42,728
Every morning I ask myself,

17
00:00:42,728 --> 00:00:44,355
"How can I --

18
00:00:44,355 --> 00:00:46,174
knowing what I know,

19
00:00:46,174 --> 00:00:48,668
and doing what I do for a living --

20
00:00:48,668 --> 00:00:50,893
be doing this to my own son?"

21
00:00:51,294 --> 00:00:52,523
You see,

22
00:00:52,523 --> 00:00:54,392
I'm a sleep researcher.

23
00:00:54,392 --> 00:00:56,061
(Laughter)

24
00:00:56,583 --> 00:00:58,479
So I know far too much about sleep,

25
00:00:58,479 --> 00:01:00,593
and the consequences of sleep loss.

26
00:01:01,019 --> 00:01:05,267
I know that I'm depriving my son
of the sleep he desparately needs

27
00:01:05,267 --> 00:01:07,361
as a rapidly growing teenager.

28
00:01:07,658 --> 00:01:09,816
I also know that by waking him up

29
00:01:09,816 --> 00:01:14,588
hours before his natural
biological clock tells him he's ready,

30
00:01:14,588 --> 00:01:17,669
I'm literally robbing him
of his dreams --

31
00:01:17,669 --> 00:01:23,320
the type of sleep most associated
with learning, memory consolidation

32
00:01:23,320 --> 00:01:25,830
and emotional processing.

33
00:01:26,057 --> 00:01:28,971
But it's not just my kid
that's being deprived of sleep.

34
00:01:30,022 --> 00:01:33,772
Sleep deprivation among
American teenagers is an epidemic.

35
00:01:34,605 --> 00:01:39,163
Only about one in 10 gets
the eight to 10 hours of sleep per night

36
00:01:39,163 --> 00:01:42,080
recommended by sleep scientists
and pediatricians.

37
00:01:43,478 --> 00:01:45,094
If you're thinking to yourself,

38
00:01:45,094 --> 00:01:46,654
"Phew, we're doing good,

39
00:01:46,654 --> 00:01:48,694
my kid's getting eight hours,"

40
00:01:48,694 --> 00:01:49,839
remember,

41
00:01:49,839 --> 00:01:53,382
eight hours is the minimum
recommendation ...

42
00:01:53,382 --> 00:01:55,027
you're barely passing.

43
00:01:55,335 --> 00:01:58,264
Eight hours is kind of like
getting a C on your report card.

44
00:01:59,122 --> 00:02:02,886
There are many factors
contributing to this epidemic,

45
00:02:02,886 --> 00:02:07,478
but a major factor preventing teens
from getting the sleep they need

46
00:02:07,478 --> 00:02:10,054
is actually a matter of public policy.

47
00:02:10,309 --> 00:02:14,574
Not hormones, social lives or Snapchat.

48
00:02:15,644 --> 00:02:16,945
Across the country,

49
00:02:16,945 --> 00:02:21,969
many schools are starting
around 7:30 a.m. or earlier,

50
00:02:21,969 --> 00:02:26,098
despite the fact that major
medical organizations recommend

51
00:02:26,098 --> 00:02:30,738
that middle and high school
start no earlier than 8:30 a.m.

52
00:02:31,336 --> 00:02:35,485
These early start policies have
a direct effect on how much --

53
00:02:35,485 --> 00:02:40,114
or really how little sleep
American teenagers are getting.

54
00:02:40,784 --> 00:02:44,844
They're also pitting
teenagers and their parents

55
00:02:44,844 --> 00:02:48,618
in a fundamentally unwinnable fight
against their own bodies.

56
00:02:49,582 --> 00:02:51,515
Around the time of puberty,

57
00:02:51,515 --> 00:02:55,286
teenagers experience a delay
in their biological clock,

58
00:02:55,286 --> 00:02:59,397
which determines when we feel most awake
and when we feel most sleepy.

59
00:02:59,731 --> 00:03:03,859
This is driven in part by a shift
in the release of the hormone melatonin.

60
00:03:04,231 --> 00:03:09,870
Teenagers' bodies wait to start releasing
melatonin until around 11 p.m.,

61
00:03:09,870 --> 00:03:13,957
which is two hours later than what
we see in adults or younger children.

62
00:03:16,049 --> 00:03:22,185
This means that waking a teenager up
at 6 a.m. is the biological equivalent

63
00:03:22,185 --> 00:03:25,600
of waking an adult up at 4 a.m.

64
00:03:26,095 --> 00:03:30,078
On the unfortunate days when
I have to wake up at 4 a.m.,

65
00:03:30,078 --> 00:03:31,524
I'm a zombie.

66
00:03:31,524 --> 00:03:33,217
Functionally useless.

67
00:03:33,217 --> 00:03:34,936
I can't think straight,

68
00:03:34,936 --> 00:03:36,376
I'm irritable

69
00:03:36,376 --> 00:03:39,997
and I probably shouldn't be driving a car,

70
00:03:39,997 --> 00:03:44,151
but this is how many American
teenagers feel every single school day.

71
00:03:44,497 --> 00:03:46,437
In fact, many of the --

72
00:03:46,437 --> 00:03:47,595
shall we say,

73
00:03:47,595 --> 00:03:51,999
unpleasant characteristics that we
chalk up to being a teenagers --

74
00:03:51,999 --> 00:03:55,555
moodiness, irritability,
laziness, depression --

75
00:03:55,555 --> 00:03:58,750
could be a product
of chronic sleep deprivation.

76
00:03:59,243 --> 00:04:02,172
For many teens battling
chronic sleep loss,

77
00:04:02,172 --> 00:04:07,689
their go-to strategy to compensate
is consuming large quantities of caffeine

78
00:04:07,689 --> 00:04:09,882
in the form of venti frappucinnos,

79
00:04:09,882 --> 00:04:11,733
or energy drinks and shots.

80
00:04:12,381 --> 00:04:13,742
So essentially,

81
00:04:13,742 --> 00:04:19,316
we've got an entire population
of tired but wired youth.

82
00:04:21,874 --> 00:04:25,569
Advocates of sleep-friendly
start times know

83
00:04:25,569 --> 00:04:29,255
that adolescence is a period
of dramatic brain development,

84
00:04:29,255 --> 00:04:31,147
particularly in the parts of the brain

85
00:04:31,147 --> 00:04:34,761
that are responsible for those higher
order thinking processes,

86
00:04:34,761 --> 00:04:38,895
including reasoning, problem-solving
and good judgment.

87
00:04:39,422 --> 00:04:40,471
In other words,

88
00:04:40,471 --> 00:04:42,840
the very type of brain activity
that's responsible

89
00:04:42,840 --> 00:04:47,330
for reining in those impulsive
and often risky behaviors

90
00:04:47,330 --> 00:04:50,394
that are so characteristic of adolescence

91
00:04:50,394 --> 00:04:54,292
and that are so terrifying
to us parents of teenagers.

92
00:04:54,690 --> 00:04:56,835
They know that like the rest of us,

93
00:04:56,835 --> 00:04:59,308
when teenagers don't
get the sleep they need,

94
00:04:59,308 --> 00:05:02,489
their brains, their bodies
and behaviors suffer

95
00:05:02,489 --> 00:05:05,084
with both immediate and lasting effects.

96
00:05:05,382 --> 00:05:07,333
They can't concentrate,

97
00:05:07,333 --> 00:05:09,376
their attention plummets

98
00:05:09,376 --> 00:05:13,418
and many will even show
behavioral signs that mimic ADHD.

99
00:05:14,623 --> 00:05:19,066
But the consequences of teen sleep loss
go well beyond the classroom,

100
00:05:19,066 --> 00:05:22,793
sadly contributing to many
of the mental health problems

101
00:05:22,793 --> 00:05:25,440
that skyrocket during adolescence,

102
00:05:25,440 --> 00:05:27,380
including substance use,

103
00:05:27,380 --> 00:05:29,961
depression and suicide.

104
00:05:30,589 --> 00:05:33,912
In our work with teens
from LA Unified School District,

105
00:05:33,912 --> 00:05:36,092
we found that teens with sleep problems

106
00:05:36,092 --> 00:05:40,626
were 55 percent more likely
to have used alcohol in the past month.

107
00:05:41,354 --> 00:05:45,270
In another study with over
30,000 high school students,

108
00:05:45,270 --> 00:05:48,989
they found that for each
hour of lost sleep,

109
00:05:48,989 --> 00:05:53,658
there was a 38 percent increase
in feeling sad or hopeless,

110
00:05:53,658 --> 00:05:57,421
and a 58 percent increase
in teen suicide attempts.

111
00:05:58,764 --> 00:06:01,262
And if that's not enough,

112
00:06:01,262 --> 00:06:03,850
teens who skip out on sleep
are at increased risk

113
00:06:03,850 --> 00:06:07,756
for a host of physical health problems
that plague our country,

114
00:06:07,756 --> 00:06:12,043
including obesity,
heart disease and diabetes.

115
00:06:12,998 --> 00:06:16,010
Then there's the risk of putting
a sleep-deprived teen,

116
00:06:16,010 --> 00:06:18,582
with a newly minted driver's license,

117
00:06:18,582 --> 00:06:20,232
behind the wheel.

118
00:06:20,474 --> 00:06:25,102
Studies have shown that getting five hours
or less of sleep per night

119
00:06:25,102 --> 00:06:30,706
is the equivalent of driving with a blood
alcohol content above the legal limit.

120
00:06:36,473 --> 00:06:39,055
Advocates of sleep-friendly start times,

121
00:06:39,055 --> 00:06:41,109
and researchers in this area,

122
00:06:41,109 --> 00:06:43,324
have produced tremendous science

123
00:06:43,324 --> 00:06:46,573
showing the tremendous benefits
of later start times.

124
00:06:47,101 --> 00:06:49,433
The findings are unequivocal,

125
00:06:49,433 --> 00:06:51,241
and as a sleep scientist,

126
00:06:51,241 --> 00:06:54,430
I rarely get to speak
with that kind of certainty.

127
00:06:55,328 --> 00:06:58,836
Teens from districts with later
start times get more sleep.

128
00:06:59,202 --> 00:07:02,725
To the naysayers who may think
that if schools start later,

129
00:07:02,725 --> 00:07:05,288
teens will just stay up later,

130
00:07:05,288 --> 00:07:06,464
the truth is,

131
00:07:06,464 --> 00:07:08,448
their bedtimes stay the same,

132
00:07:08,448 --> 00:07:10,688
but their wake-up times get extended,

133
00:07:10,688 --> 00:07:12,912
resulting in more sleep.

134
00:07:13,581 --> 00:07:16,068
They're more likely to show up for school;

135
00:07:16,068 --> 00:07:19,992
school absences dropped
by 25 percent in one district.

136
00:07:19,992 --> 00:07:22,522
And they're less likely to dropout.

137
00:07:22,522 --> 00:07:25,956
Not surprisingly, they do
better academically.

138
00:07:25,956 --> 00:07:30,258
So this has real implications
for reducing the achievement gap.

139
00:07:30,771 --> 00:07:33,520
Standardized test scores
in math and reading

140
00:07:33,520 --> 00:07:36,257
go up by two to three percentage points.

141
00:07:36,491 --> 00:07:42,089
That's as powerful as reducing class sizes
by one-third fewer students,

142
00:07:42,089 --> 00:07:45,400
or replacing a so-so teacher
in the classroom

143
00:07:45,400 --> 00:07:47,601
with a truly outstanding one.

144
00:07:48,671 --> 00:07:51,222
Their mental and physical health improves,

145
00:07:51,222 --> 00:07:53,317
and even their families are happier.

146
00:07:53,626 --> 00:07:58,432
I mean, who wouldn't enjoy a little
more pleasantness from our teens,

147
00:07:58,432 --> 00:08:00,835
and a little less crankiness?

148
00:08:01,236 --> 00:08:03,152
Even their communities are safer

149
00:08:03,152 --> 00:08:05,794
because car crash rates go down --

150
00:08:05,794 --> 00:08:08,931
a 70 percent reduction in one district.

151
00:08:09,664 --> 00:08:11,980
Given these tremendous benefits,

152
00:08:11,980 --> 00:08:13,461
you might think,

153
00:08:13,461 --> 00:08:15,658
well, this is a no-brainer, right?

154
00:08:16,115 --> 00:08:20,738
So why have we as a society
failed to heed this call?

155
00:08:21,897 --> 00:08:26,263
Often the argument against later
start times goes something like this:

156
00:08:26,263 --> 00:08:28,655
"Why should we delay
start times for teenagers?

157
00:08:28,655 --> 00:08:31,875
We need to toughen them up
so they're ready for the real world!"

158
00:08:32,397 --> 00:08:35,266
But that's like saying to the parent
of a two-year-old,

159
00:08:35,266 --> 00:08:36,929
"Don't let Johnny nap,

160
00:08:36,929 --> 00:08:39,281
or he won't be ready for kindergarten."

161
00:08:39,281 --> 00:08:40,281
(Laughter)

162
00:08:42,043 --> 00:08:45,632
Delaying start times also presents
many logistical challenges.

163
00:08:45,937 --> 00:08:48,489
Not just for students and their families,

164
00:08:48,489 --> 00:08:50,598
but for communities as a whole.

165
00:08:50,883 --> 00:08:52,504
Updating bus routes,

166
00:08:52,504 --> 00:08:54,420
increased transportation costs,

167
00:08:54,420 --> 00:08:55,937
impact on sports,

168
00:08:55,937 --> 00:08:58,328
care before or after school.

169
00:08:58,550 --> 00:09:03,104
These are the same concerns
that come up in district after district,

170
00:09:03,104 --> 00:09:05,166
time and again around the country

171
00:09:05,166 --> 00:09:07,507
as school start times are debated.

172
00:09:08,137 --> 00:09:10,945
And they're legitimate concerns,

173
00:09:10,945 --> 00:09:13,868
but these are problems
we have to work through.

174
00:09:14,393 --> 00:09:16,751
They are not valid excuses

175
00:09:16,751 --> 00:09:20,211
for failing to do the right thing
for our children,

176
00:09:20,211 --> 00:09:24,816
which is to start middle and high schools
no earlier than 8:30 a.m.

177
00:09:25,886 --> 00:09:27,825
And in districts around the country,

178
00:09:27,825 --> 00:09:28,828
big and small,

179
00:09:28,828 --> 00:09:30,609
who have made this change,

180
00:09:30,631 --> 00:09:34,484
they found that these fears
are often unfounded,

181
00:09:34,484 --> 00:09:38,957
and far outweighed by the tremendous
benefits for student health

182
00:09:38,957 --> 00:09:40,625
and performance,

183
00:09:40,625 --> 00:09:43,103
and our collective public safety.

184
00:09:44,427 --> 00:09:46,286
So tomorrow morning,

185
00:09:46,286 --> 00:09:51,027
when coincidentally we get to set
our clocks back by an hour --

186
00:09:51,027 --> 00:09:52,027
(Laughter)

187
00:09:52,027 --> 00:09:57,452
and you get that delicious
extra hour of sleep,

188
00:09:57,452 --> 00:10:00,369
and they day seems a little longer,

189
00:10:00,369 --> 00:10:03,113
and a little more full of hope,

190
00:10:03,113 --> 00:10:06,953
think about the tremendous power of sleep.

191
00:10:07,753 --> 00:10:10,551
And think about what a gift it would be

192
00:10:10,551 --> 00:10:14,554
for our children to be able
to wake up naturally,

193
00:10:14,554 --> 00:10:16,848
in harmony with their own biology.

194
00:10:17,485 --> 00:10:18,930
Thank you,

195
00:10:18,930 --> 00:10:19,909
and pleasant dreams.