LTE 6/25/10

[title1parent]

www.suburbanchicagonews.com/napervillesun/news/opinions/letters/2430746,6_4_NA25_LETTERS_S1-100625.article

Letters to the Editor

June 25, 2010 Sun


Something to sleep on

Naperville North High School starts at 7:45 a.m., but school buses pick up students far earlier than that. My bus picks me up at 6:30 a.m. and arrives at school at 7 a.m. Often I have nothing to do for 45 minutes. The most serious problem with this schedule is sleep deprivation. Experts estimate that adolescents require 8.5 to 9.25 hours of sleep, and that our internal clock makes us sleepy at about 11 p.m. At most, I can look forward to seven hours of sleep each night, a two-hour deficit. According to Michael J. Breus, Ph.D. and MD, writing in "Sleep Habits: More Important Than You Think" at www.webmd.com, symptoms of sleep deprivation include decreased performance, decreased alertness, memory problems, cognitive impairment, poor quality of life, increased likelihood of injury and increased likelihood of automobile accidents. Long-term effects include obesity, hypertension, mental impairment, increased likelihood of heart attack, heart failure, or stroke, sub-optimal childhood growth and psychiatric problems.
In order for us to get enough sleep and avoid problems damaging to health and performance, we would need to awaken at 8 a.m. I believe the high school day should start at 8:45 and end at 4:10. Doing so would likely improve student test scores and grades, as well as decreasing behavioral problems.

Daniel Glass

Naperville

[asmodeus]

I don't understand why a bus would be scheduled to drop kids off 45 minutes before classes begin. That being said, Mr. Glass has a couple alternatives:

1. Go to bed earlier.
2. Find alternative transportation.
3. Walk to school. This would reduce his odds of "obesity, hypertension, mental impairment, increased likelihood of heart attack, heart failure, or stroke...."

[wvhsparent]

Jun 25, 2010 9:21:36 GMT -5 asmodeus said:

I don't understand why a bus would be scheduled to drop kids off 45 minutes before classes begin. That being said, Mr. Glass has a couple alternatives:

1. Go to bed earlier.
2. Find alternative transportation.
3. Walk to school. This would reduce his odds of "obesity, hypertension, mental impairment, increased likelihood of heart attack, heart failure, or stroke...."

Excellent suggestions asmo!!!!!!