+
upworthy
Most Shared

Kids aren't getting enough sleep, and it's a big problem. But there's a simple solution.

Last year, the American Association of Pediatrics issued new guidelines for school start times.

Sleep is the only activity you do by pretending you're already doing it.

Think about it. Weird, right? Anyway, sleep is also really important. Without sleep, you'd be, well, uh, not living. So, for the sake of your mental and physical health, emotional well-being, and existence, it's important to make sure you're getting enough of it.


Plus, sleep is awesome. GIF from USA TODAY.

Most of us aspire to get enough sleep (but don't). And if we're lucky, we can control our schedules, avoid nicotine, and avoid caffeine. Sleep-related problems and habits, however, can be a learned condition over time. For this and other reasons, it's time we had a little chat about how to break those habits early in life.

Kids aren't getting enough sleep. This is actually a big problem.

The National Sleep Foundation (yes, this is a thing that exists; no, I hadn't heard of it, either) found that 87% of U.S. high schoolers were getting less than the recommended 8.5-9.5 hours of sleep on weeknights. The numbers weren't much better for junior high students.

What's the big deal? Well, chronic sleep loss has some nasty effects, especially on adolescents. For example, it's been know to lead to lower test scores, decreased ability to concentrate, shorter attention spans, and less ability to retain information. And, given that succeeding at school requires pretty much the polar opposite of those symptoms, we should probably try to figure out how to make sure kids get the sleep they need.

Your average American high schooler, basically. GIF from "Arrested Development."

Some schools have a really simple, obvious solution: Start classes later.

A few school districts here and there have bumped back start times in recent years for the sake of students' zzz's, but the Seattle School Board just became one of the largest districts in the country to push start times later than 8:30 a.m.

"The proposal to change bell times is the result of a research-based community initiative," the district's teachers union told the Seattle Times. "It will improve learning, health and equity for thousands of Seattle students."

And hopefully create an environment where they don't dread school as much as Bart Simpson. GIF from "The Simpsons."

But wait, won't students just stay up later at night? Actually, no!

That was another fascinating aspect of the American Academy of Pediatrics recommendation — simply trying to get kids to go to bed earlier so they can wake up for earlier classes doesn't actually solve the sleep problem.

What they found was that in schools that bumped start times back, students didn't tend to stay up any later. This is because part of the reason teenagers stay up later than pre-adolescents is their changing biology, not simply some rebellious choice to stay up.

Kids don't want to go to school like this. Help them get the sleep they need so they don't have to. GIF from "Monsters, Inc."

This all sounds great, right? So why aren't more schools doing it?

While the American Association of Pediatrics has put out its recommendation, it's up to individual states and individual school districts to actually implement it.

Earlier this year, Rep. Zoe Lofgren (D-Calif.) introduced the "ZZZ's to A's Act" in Congress. The bill would direct the Department of Education to study the effects of later start times in schools and issue findings and recommendations to Congress for potential action.

"Students across the United States are not getting enough sleep at night — this affects not just their academic performance, but their health, safety, and well-being," said Rep. Lofgren in a press release. "We know that as kids become teens their biology keeps them from getting to sleep early, makes it harder for them to wake up early in the morning, and necessitates additional sleep at night."

Unfortunately, the bill — the first variation of which was introduced way back in 1998 — is stuck in Congress. Still, it's good to know there are legislators looking to improve the school experience for students across the country.

Take it from these well-rested stock photo models! Photo from iStock.

While it doesn't look like a national solution is coming anytime soon, there are things you can do.

Try going to your local school board meetings and ask that they consider the American Association of Pediatrics recommendations. Who knows? Maybe your district will follow Seattle's lead!


Time travel back to 1905.

Back in 1905, a book called "The Apples of New York" was published by the New York State Department of Agriculture. It featured hundreds of apple varieties of all shapes, colors, and sizes, including Thomas Jefferson's personal favorite, the Esopus Spitzenburg.






Keep ReadingShow less

Joey Grundl, Milwaukee pizza guy.

Joey Grundl, a pizza delivery driver for a Domino's Pizza in Waldo, Wisconsin, is being hailed as a hero for noticing a kidnapped woman's subtle cry for help.

The delivery man was sent to a woman's house to deliver a pie when her ex-boyfriend, Dean Hoffman, opened the door. Grundl looked over his shoulder and saw a middle-aged woman with a black eye standing behind Hoffman. She appeared to be mouthing the words: "Call the police."

Keep ReadingShow less
Photo by Katerina Holmes|Canva

Mom in tears after another parent calls about daughter's lunch


People say having children is like having your heart walk around outside of your body. You send them off to school, practices or playdates and hope that the world treats them kindly because when they hurt, you hurt. Inevitably there will be times when your child's feelings are hurt so you do your best to prepare for that day.

But what prepares you for when the child you love so much winds up accidentally healing your inner child. A mom on TikTok, who goes by Soogia posted a video explaining a phone call she received from a parent in her daughter's classroom. The mom called to inform Soogia that their kids had been sharing lunch with each other.

Soogia wasn't prepared for what came next. The classmate's mother informed her that her son loves the food Soogia's daughter brings to school and wanted to learn how to cook it too.

Keep ReadingShow less
Pop Culture

Listen to this organ in Croatia that uses the sea to make hauntingly beautiful music

It's a 230-foot-long organ that turns the rhythm of the waves into actual music.


In 2005, a Croatian architect designed a 230-foot-long organ that turns the rhythm of the waves into actual music.

Nope, not nonsensical bellows or chaotic tones. Real, actual, music.

Keep ReadingShow less
Modern Families

A comic from The Oatmeal illustrates how we're missing the mark on happiness.

I do the things that are meaningful to me, even if they don't make me "happy."

By Matthew Inman/The Oatmeal. Used with permission.

How to Be Perfectly Happy


Matthew Inman is the Eisner Award-winning author of The Oatmeal. He's published six books, including New York Times Best-Sellers such as "How to Tell if Your Cat is Plotting to Kill You"and "The Terrible and Wonderful Reasons Why I Run Long Distances."He enjoys running marathons, writing comics, and eating cake.

You can read more of Matthew's comics here.

Keep ReadingShow less
Health

Sweeping UN study finds that 9 out of 10 people worldwide are biased against women

In other words, 9 out of 10 people worldwide—both men and women—are biased against women in vital areas that impact the world in major ways.

Photo by Joe Gardner on Unsplash

As the U.S. ramps into an all-too-familiar presidential election cycle where the only viable candidates left on the ballot are men, the UN announces a study that may—at least partially—explain why.

The Gender Social Norms Index released yesterday by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) offers a look at gender equality as measured by people's personal gender bias. The data, which was collected from 75 countries covering 81% of the world's population, found that 91% of men and 86% of women show at least one clear bias against women in the areas of politics, economics, education, and physical integrity.

In other words, 9 out of 10 people worldwide—both men and women—are biased against women in vital areas that impact the world in major ways. Splendid.

Keep ReadingShow less