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The Digital Health Behavior Initiative at the University of Michigan's Eisenberg Family Depression Center has released its first policy brief highlighting a critical factor in teen wellness: school start times. The brief advocates for shifting start times to 8:30 a.m. or later to align with adolescent biological needs.

Research detailed in the brief shows that teenagers experience a natural shift in their circadian rhythms, making it biologically difficult for them to fall asleep early. When schools start before 8:30 a.m., many students suffer from chronic sleep deprivation and "social jetlag," a term used to describe how teens stay up later and sleep in on weekends, then struggle to adjust to earlier wake times during the school week.

Key takeways

The mismatch between adolescent biology and early school schedules creates a perfect storm for mental health challenges, the brief notes. Key findings link sufficient sleep to:

• Improved mental health: Significant decreases in symptoms of depression and anxiety
• Better academic performance: Higher GPAs, improved alertness in class, and increased attendance rates
• Enhanced safety: A reduction in student-involved car accidents

"Sleep is a fundamental pillar of mental health, yet our current school schedules often force adolescents to operate in a state of chronic sleep deprivation," said Amy Bohnert, Ph.D., M.H.S., co-director of the U-M Opioid Research Institute and a professor in the Departments of Anesthesiology, Epidemiology and Psychiatry at the University of Michigan. 

"By aligning school start times with teen biology, we can provide a powerful, evidence-based intervention to help mitigate the rising rates of depression and anxiety in our youth. This policy brief is a vital step in turning what we know about the brain into actionable changes that support the well-being of every student in Michigan," continued Bohnert.   

The new policy brief provides educators and district leaders with evidence-based strategies to implement these changes, addressing common logistical concerns like busing and extracurricular activities. By prioritizing sleep, Michigan schools can take a proactive step in addressing the current youth mental health crisis.

The work was inspired in part by Elijah Morrow, a junior at Ann Arbor Huron High School, who has been advocating to the Ann Arbor School Board around this issue since last fall. Morrow connected with Depression Center leaders about his advocacy and its relationship to the Center's work to improve adolescent mental health. 

"As a high school student, I have seen the negative effects of early start times firsthand. I see my peers sleeping in class, falling behind on work, and struggling with their mental health because of a constant lack of sleep," said Morrow. "After researching this issue, I realized how unreasonable the current system is and how urgently it needs to change. My goal is to educate school administration, parents, teachers, and students so we can spark the local and national changes necessary to improve the lives of all Michigan students."

Read full policy brief: "School Start Times Affect Adolescent Health and Academic Performance" 

Policy brief contributors include: Elijah Morrow; Kathleen Howe, M.P.H.; Cathy Goldstein, M.D., M.S.; Daniel Connochie, M.P.H.; Amy Bohnert, Ph.D., M.H.S.; Srijan Sen, M.D., Ph.D.