We blame it on laziness, too much socializing or a late bedtime, but there is also some science involved in why teens just can’t wake up in the morning. Adolescents stay up later because they physically can’t go to sleep earlier, according to a new study from the American Academy of Pediatrics that says teens have a delayed release of melatonin and a lack of “sleep drive” in response to fatigue. Even when tired, they have difficulty falling asleep and do not feel the bedtime urge until later. The study recommended starting school later in the day, to prevent the negative effects of too little sleep, which include lower grades and higher body weights. Despite the warnings, schools are not required to follow the recommendations and some are starting earlier this year to accomodate cirriculum demands. “The urgency and the magnitude of the problem of sleep loss in adolescents and the availability of an intervention that has the potential to have broad and immediate effects are highly compelling,” the organization argued in its report. As we start a new school year, magazines on Flipboard provide sleep tips, advice about sleep disorders and explain the consequences of too few ZZZs.
