Teenagers’ academic achievement, personal safety, and health have a direct correlation to the amount of sleep they get each night–yet getting enough is harder to manage during secondary school years. After citywide petitions and a widescale call to action last year, Seattle’s Bell Time Analysis Task Force has been convened to research optimum start times for secondary schools in the district. This panel discussion will explore the science behind teenage sleep patterns, the impact of deprivation on academic performance and the achievement gap; provide an overview of current efforts of the task force; and offer information on how you can support this critical solution for local children. Panelists include Dr. Maida Lynn Chen, director of the Pediatric Sleep Center at Seattle Children’s Hospital; Dr. Catherine Darley, director of The Institute of Naturopathic Sleep Medicine and co-chair of Start School Later/Seattle; and Dr. Wendy Sue Swanson, Seattle Children’s pediatrician and author of Seattle Mama Doc blog and Mama Doc Medicine.
