Teen Drivers That Get Sleep Have Fewer Car Crashes
When it comes to teen safety behind the wheel, the alarm clock is just as important as the speedometer. That’s because teens who don’t get enough sleep are more likely to get into a car crash.
The Associated Professional Sleep Society compared crash rates in cities with different school start times. In Virginia Beach, Virginia, high school classes start at 7:20 a.m. In nearby Chesapeake, they start an hour later. Guess what? There were 40 percent more auto accidents in the school district with the early start.
Dr. Robert Vorona of the Eastern Virginia Medical School points out that the results don’t necessarily prove that a lack of sleep caused the accidents, but chronic sleep deprivation is a common problem among adolescents. And other school districts that began starting classes an hour later have seen teen crash rates decrease.
You can’t do much about wake-up times until your local school board makes a changes, but there is a simple fix: Go to bed earlier! Experts suggest tacking your homework early so you can get the recommended 9 hours of sleep every night.
The Associated Professional Sleep Society compared crash rates in cities with different school start times. In Virginia Beach, Virginia, high school classes start at 7:20 a.m. In nearby Chesapeake, they start an hour later. Guess what? There were 40 percent more auto accidents in the school district with the early start.
Dr. Robert Vorona of the Eastern Virginia Medical School points out that the results don’t necessarily prove that a lack of sleep caused the accidents, but chronic sleep deprivation is a common problem among adolescents. And other school districts that began starting classes an hour later have seen teen crash rates decrease.
You can’t do much about wake-up times until your local school board makes a changes, but there is a simple fix: Go to bed earlier! Experts suggest tacking your homework early so you can get the recommended 9 hours of sleep every night.
