[Congressional Record Volume 145, Number 47 (Wednesday, March 24, 1999)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E541]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                   ON THE ``Zzzzz's'' TO ``A's'' ACT

                                 ______
                                 

                            HON. ZOE LOFGREN

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                       Wednesday, March 24, 1999

  Ms. LOFGREN. Mr. Speaker, I rise to introduce the ``Zzzz's to A's 
Act'' and to draw attention to an important issue for high school 
students across the United States.
  Those of us who have teenagers know how tough it is to get them out 
of bed early in the morning. My 14-year-old and 17-year-old are bright, 
eager students. But you would never know it when they have to wake up 
at the crack of dawn. They feel wiped out instead of raring to go.
  I knew there had to be an explanation, other than laziness or 
rebellion. My answer came a year ago, when I read about scientific 
findings confirming that puberty changes the body's sleep cycle in such 
a way that makes it difficult--if not impossible--for most teens to 
fall asleep before 10 p.m. and to awaken early in the morning. 
Scientists also report that teens need more sleep than they will ever 
need again in life--at least 8 to 10 hours a night.
  It doesn't take a rocket scientist--or a sleep scientist, in this 
case--to put these two facts together and realize that when high 
schools start before 8 a.m., kids are in class when they are sleepy. 
This sleep deprivation has harmful effects on learning abilities. it 
can lead to academic, behavioral, and psychological problems. Sleep 
deprivation also puts teens at risk for accidents and injuries, 
especially when driving.
  There's a simple solution: adjust high school hours to be in sync 
with teenagers' body clocks. As a mother I saw the need for change, 
and, as a Member of Congress I thought I could help. Today, I am 
reintroducing legislation to put teens in school during their most 
alert hours.
  My bill, called the ``Zzzzz's to A's Act'', could do more for 
improving education and reducing teen crime than many other more 
expensive initiatives. It encourages school districts to consider 
pushing back starting times--not shortening the school day. My bill 
would make it easier for districts to do so by providing a federal 
grant up to $25,000 to help cover administrative and operating costs 
associated with changing hours.
  A number of school districts across the country are looking at 
adjusting their hours, and handful already have. The districts in 
Minnesota, Arizona, and Kentucky that now start classes later have seen 
grades improve and student aggression decline.
  In addition to boosting academic performance, adjusting school hours 
helps mitigate the problem of juvenile crime. It keeps teens off the 
streets during the late afternoon hours when they are most likely to 
commit or be the victim of crime. FBI data shows that almost half of 
all violent juvenile crime occurs between 2 p.m., and 8 p.m., when many 
adolescents are without supervision.
  My ``Zzzzz's to A's'' legislation has been endorsed by the nation's 
leading sleep researchers and by organizations from the National Sleep 
Foundation to Kids Safe Education Foundation and Rock the Vote.
  Teens are paying a heavy price for following the old adage ``Early to 
bed, early to rise.'' It's time for high schools to synchronize their 
clocks with their students' body clocks so the teens can go from 
``Zzzzzz's'' to ``A's.''

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