There’s a dad gene that activates the minute the grass starts to grow. It smells weeds creeping under the soil. It activates at the sound of yard work not getting done. And when the sun rises, the dad gene explodes. Time to wake up! The day is a-wasting! Let’s do some work. Where are my teenagers? Let’s build some character.
It’s not just yard work either. It’s really any kind of work. Because as my grandpappy said, the sooner you start, the sooner you finish. The early bird gets the worm. If “Ifs” and “Buts” were candy and nuts, it would be Christmas every day.
Sports, practices, studying, mountain climbing: the earlier they start the better it is, dagnabbit. And school should start when the sun comes up, just like its farm work back in the 1850s. That’s the dad gene, but unfortunately, it’s wrong. It’s a shock when you figure that out.
It all comes down to economics
“So, school bus schedules have pushed school start times back earlier and earlier because of money?” That was the first question I asked Lisa L. Lewis, author of The Sleep Deprived Teen.
“Yes. Driven by suburbanization and consolidation into large schools, schools began starting before 9 am. And even when bus service is deleted, the earlier start times endured. It’s not good for our kids.”
Mrs. Lewis then has study after study to back up that statement so much so that the dad gene in me starts to wilt. I understand the economics of it, but what bothers me is that we are ignoring a health issue and bringing it all down to money. I know that this is America and there can be no other way (apparently), but on this issue, Mrs. Lewis makes a very valid point.
Let’s be honest right from the start. Our teens are facing more stress and pressure than previous generations. Sports go year-round, travel and competitive teams are abundant, normal school pressure gets ramped up as many high schools ask you to prepare for college your freshman year. Now add in the constant onslaught of a digital world that you can never get away from.
And the comeback to that is “Well, back in my day I handled all that stress!” No, we didn’t. There was no such thing as cyberbullying, 70% of us never thought about going to college, much less preparing for it at 14. Most of us didn’t have year-round sports. I played Texas Highschool football, the biggest of the big, and even we got the summers off. And our mistakes were not immortalized forever on the internet. Unless you were graduating into World War II, I think it is safe to recognize that our teens may have a ton of stress that we didn’t have. And the lack of sleep is hurting them.
It’s a national health issue
The CDC recommends 8 to 10 hours of sleep for a teenager a day. They are not getting it. They are overscheduled, overstimulated, and expectations are through the roof. For example, my daughter works until 10:30 and sometimes as late as 11 pm. It’s naive to think that she immediately goes to bed. Not only that, but Mrs. Lewis brings up another hard truth.
“Their circadian rhythms are different than adults. They shift,” she says. And then there is a bunch of science to back that up. There is a shift at puberty. Add in the late-night stimulation, a mind that can’t clear, and a father who loves yard work at 6 am and we’ve got problems. Bigger problems than I recognized.
“Sleep acts as an emotional buffer,” Mrs. Lewis states. There is a stat that jumps out at me in Mrs. Lewis’ book. 44% of high schoolers had persistent feelings of sadness, hopelessness, and 20% contemplated suicide. My dad gene kicks in but for a different reason. The mental health of my kids is extremely important. This is why getting enough sleep is a national health issue for our teens and shouldn’t be decided by economics. It’s time to stop playing around and get to the work of sleep for our teens.
“When you are sleep deprived, it exacerbates mood disorders such as depression and anxiety. It increases the likelihood of risky behaviors.” Not only that, but a tired teen is one that doesn’t learn as well in school. We’ve all been there, sure. But the question really is: Did we have to be?
How to help
This was the biggest question I asked Mrs. Lewis. How do I recognize my teen isn’t getting enough sleep, and how do I adjust? My fear is that she would take away my yard work.
Mrs. Lewis advises to pay attention to your teen’s behavior a little more closely. Are they quiet in the morning? Are they alert? Do they rely on naps in the afternoon and a constant supply of caffeine? Do they sleep through alarms and are they more forgetful than normal? Honestly, it sounds like she is describing me because those are exactly my behaviors when I don’t get enough sleep.
She recommends that we help our teens by developing a nighttime routine. Let them be part of the solution and not sleep by lecture, my personal go-to favorite. Charge all tech outside of the rooms, listen to white noise or podcasts, pink or soft lights to help kick in the melatonin. And of course, start school no earlier than 8:30 am. My sons and daughters get on their bus at 7 in the morning. They leave before my wife does for work.
It’s tough to change minds, especially in school systems. But Mrs. Lewis did in California where now there is a law pushing back school start times. Start at your school board and by finding like-minded parents. Join a chapter of Start School Later. Begin treating our teens with their overall health and well-being in mind and not as a number on a spreadsheet.
Don’t worry, the yardwork will get done. Just a little bit later.
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This Post is republished on Medium.
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