A group of Libertyville High School students is pushing to make schools consider the impact start times are having on students’ sleep schedules.
Sixteen students who are part of Libertyville Connect’s Youth Advisory Council have conducted extensive research about how much sleep they should be getting.
“The more sleep you get, the better you perform academically, the better you feel mentally. We just see so many great positive results from an increase in sleep,” said junior Victoria Ivanov. “We see higher test scores, better athletic performance, [and] greater attendance rates.”
Last year, they set their sights on Springfield, working with their state lawmaker, Rep. Laura Faver Dias, to craft legislation. It was introduced as a bill last year and then as a House resolution this year.
“It was so interesting and … different than I expected going to Springfield,” said junior Maggie O’Grady. “Seeing all these legislators actually be interested in the things that we were bringing up and being willing to chat with us and consider it.”
The House resolution, which was assigned to the Education Policy Committee, would encourage all public middle and high schools in Illinois to develop plans for later school start times. It’s based on scientific research showing it’s hard for teenagers to fall asleep early enough for current start times. The resolution suggests school start no earlier than 8:30 a.m. and acknowledges that waiting to start until 9 a.m. brings even more benefits.
Their school day in Libertyville begins at 8:45 a.m., something the students said they used to take for granted.
“The earliest I’ve ever had to go to school for an extracurricular is probably 7:30 or 7:45, which is after some schools start their actual school day,” said junior Sydney Yu.
The American Academy of Sleep Medicine recommends children aged 13 to 18 get 8 to 10 hours every night.
“Sleep is something that’s very important to me. I always make sure that I’m getting at least eight hours every night. And I know a lot of people struggle to get that, especially with everything high schoolers have to do,” said junior Sophia Hughes.
The Illinois Association of School Boards is not taking a position on the resolution but did list listed some considerations, like the costs of bus routes, scheduling conflicts and collective bargaining agreements, plus extracurricular activities and the fact that school districts typically negotiate start times with teachers.
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