The
Current
Situation 

     The American Academy of Sleep Medicine recommends that children aged 13-18 should get 8-10 hours of sleep in a 24-hour period. In fact, getting less than eight has been found to be too little. In the state of New Jersey, there is little legislation regarding the lack of sleep in individuals, especially students. For example, the NJ Department of Education’s Parent Handbook states that students between the ages of 6-16 must attend school, the school year begins in September and ends in June, and the school day is typically around 5.5-7 hours long. It also lists some of the holidays that schools typically aren't in session. However, this makes no mention of start times for school, extracurricular activities, or sleep. Each school district in the state is responsible for setting its own start times.

     In the Bernards Township School District, Ridge High School begins at 7:35 am and ends at 2:25 pm. In addition, all sports and activities are after school, along with homework. The district takes pride in its "academic rigor" according to Ridge High School's 21-22 School Profile. In fact, 69% of the students in the Class of 2022 had a GPA range from 3.5-5.0. High school students' pressures and general busyness factor into how much sleep they're getting a night, which at Ridge, is not enough.