OMAHA, Neb. (KMTV) — Students at Duchesne Academy will be trying something new in February 2019.
The all-girls school will test a new start time, starting at 8:25 a.m. instead of 7:55 a.m.
Studies show a half-hour of sleep goes a long way, leading to better grades and attendance.
"What began to jump out was importance of sleep for teens and research around patterns that affect everything," Principal Dr. Laua Hickman said.
Dr. Hickman says it's a no-brainer that later start times are great for students. Dr. Soonjo Hwang at the University of Nebraska Medical Center agrees. Eight hours is critical to middle and high school students at this point in their lives.
"High schools surely require more and more and [students] can deal with a lot of stress and sacrifice sleep," said Dr. Hwang, a child and adolescent psychiatrist said. "So I tell them it's an investment because if your brain is not functioning well then it's going to take extra time and effort to get things done."
Duchesne will test the later start for a few weeks in 2019, then return to normal hours to get feedback from families. Dr. Hickman says a new schedule will be set next fall.
"We're always told mental health and sleep are crucial and sleep matters so we'll actually get some," said junior student Danielle Eillarreal.
