[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 149 (2003), Part 6]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages 8272-8273]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                      INTRODUCTION OF ZZZ'S TO A'S

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                            HON. ZOE LOFGREN

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                        Wednesday, April 2, 2003

  Ms. LOFGREN. Mr. Speaker, there is a growing crisis in America. With 
early school start times, some before 7:00 a.m., adolescents do not get 
enough sleep. The National Sleep Foundation reports that children and 
adolescents need at least 9 to 10 hours each night. But few sleep that 
much, and even fewer sleep on a regular schedule. Over time sleep 
deprivation leads to serious consequences for the health, safety, 
social behavior, and academic achievement of the nation's youth. This 
is simply unacceptable, especially since the solution is so easy. We 
must encourage schools to push back their start times to at least 8:30 
a.m.--a schedule more in tune with adolescents' biological sleep and 
wake patterns and more like the normal adult workday.
  A recently published study by Dr. Kyla Wahlstrom at the University of 
Minnesota demonstrates the impact of later school start times. After 
the Minneapolis Public School District changed the starting times of 
seven high schools from 7:15 a.m. to 8:40 a.m., Dr. Wahlstrom 
investigated the impact of this change on school performance and the 
results are encouraging. Dr. Wahlstrom found improvement in attendance 
and enrollment rates, increased daytime alertness, and decreased 
student-reported depression. If we allow adolescents to perform in 
accordance with their biological clocks, we provide them with the 
opportunity to succeed in school. Further, adequate sleep benefits 
adolescents by decreasing their chances of sleep-related car accidents 
and child obesity.
  As more research is done, picture is clear--with early school start 
times, we place undue pressure on adolescents' ability to perform and 
achieve in school. Some school districts have responded to the research 
and have pushed school start times back. In total, 34 school districts 
across 19 states have pushed back school start times. In addition, the 
evidence has led nearly 100 additional school districts to consider 
changes.

[[Page 8273]]

  I continue to advocate for later school start times and today I am 
re-introducing the ZZZ's to A's resolution to encourage schools to push 
back their start times to at least 8:30 a.m. I urge my colleagues to 
join me in this initiative. By encouraging schools to push back their 
start times and allowing adolescents to get enough sleep, we provide 
students with the opportunity to function normally, achieve in school, 
and be their best!

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