Early school starts may be hazardous to kids' health, CDC says

Students throughout the ages have been saying that school starts too early, but according to one report, they may be right.

A 2015 report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said that students are not getting enough sleep due to classes that start before 8:30 a.m.

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It's those early starts that are making it difficult for teens to get the sleep they need, leaving them chronically sleep-deprived and exhausted.

The American Academy of Sleep Medicine recommends that teens ages 13 to 18 get 8 to 10 hours of sleep a day. According to the American Academy of Pediatrics, their natural sleep rhythms make it difficult for them to fall asleep before 11 p.m.

Because of the lack of sleep, teens who get too little sleep are more likely to be overweight or depressed. They may also do poorly in school and try tobacco, alcohol and drugs, according to AASM.

Two-thirds of teens say they get less than eight hours a sleep a night, according to the CDC.

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