CDC: Most Schools Start Classes Too Early

ATLANTA, GA (CBS) -- With the school year around the corner, the Centers for Disease Control says if a child's classes start before 8:30 in the morning, the student may not be getting enough sleep, leading to health risks.

The CDC says they and U.S. Department of Education researchers reviewed data from the 2011-2012 Schools and Staffing Survey of nearly 40,000 public middle, high, and combined schools to determine school start times.

The report says schools that have a start time of 8:30 a.m. or later allow young students to get the recommended amount of sleep on school nights, which is about eight and a half to nine and a half hours.

Researchers say, "Insufficient sleep is common among high school students and is associated with several health risks such as being overweight, drinking alcohol, smoking tobacco, and using drugs – as well as poor academic performance."

According to the report, 42 states reported that 75-100 percent of the public schools in their state started before 8:30 a.m.

Anne Wheaton, Ph.D., lead author and epidemiologist in CDC's Division of Population Health says, "Early school start times, however, are preventing many adolescents from getting the sleep they need."

In our region, Delaware has the earlier average start time at 7:42 a.m. New Jersey is the latest at 8:00 a.m.