Students Fight For More Time To Sleep
A Bellevue student says the problem is school starts too early. She wants the school bell to ring an hour later and she's asked the school board to sleep on it.
Every Tuesday after school, the Power Nap Club meets at Bellevue's International School.
"We're all really tired," said Angela Crawford, a freshman at International School, home to 450 students, grades 6 through 12.
The Power Nap Club is a support group for students who say they're sleep-deprived. Sometimes, they read a bedtime story, and they always take a group snooze.
"We're gonna do our nap now," said 17-year-old Jessica Stone.
The school gym becomes slumberville. As they relax and decompress, they catch up on lost sleep.
"I like it a lot, it really makes me restful and more energetic," said Crawford.
Senior Jessica Stone started the nap club to fight back. She wants her school to start at 8:30 a.m., not 7:45 so students can get the National Sleep Foundation's recommended nine and a half hours of sleep. "I fall asleep in class sometimes," she said.
So, to get more shuteye in her own bed, Jessica thinks a later school start time is healthy and smart.
"My brain will be working better, I'll be able to think and do my homework," explained Stone.
"In general teenagers are relatively sleep deprived," said Dr. Scott Bonvallet. He runs Overlake Hospital's Eastside Sleep Disorders Clinic and says teens are biologically programmed to fall asleep later.
"Natural preference is to go to bed a little later than midnight or 1:00 a.m. and sleep later," said. Dr. Bonvallet.
Going to bed earlier won't help. So, until Jessica can convince International School to start later, it's nap time.
"Sleep is a priority for me and my health should be a priority," she said.
The Seattle School District switched to a late start at Nathan Hale High School this fall because of sleep issues.
The Bellevue school board is considering the change.
On Monday night, March 29 at 7 p.m., Overlake Hospital will hold a panel discussion at the International School in Bellevue.