Letter: Solution to sleep issues for students can be found at home

It appears that schools around the country are seriously considering making changes in the starting time of the school day to satisfy the few who cannot manage their sleep time. Most students have no problem with the current starting time.

I taught college-prep math in high school for 33 years. My most productive students were those who were in classes that met in the morning, starting at 7:50 a.m. What has changed? My students went to bed at a time that allowed them 8 to 10 hours of sleep every night. They had no TVs in their bedrooms, no cellphones, and no electronic devices to use until late into the night. They also had parents who made sure they got to bed early enough to get a full night’s sleep.

It seems the actual solution to the sleep issue is found in the student’s home. So, parents, maybe it is time for you to remove TVs from all bedrooms, take control of all electronic devices by 9 p.m., allow no phone calls after 9 p.m., in bed no later than 10 p.m., etc.

Benjamin Franklin said, “Early to bed and early to rise makes a man healthy, wealthy, and wise.” It would benefit everyone if we would take those words of wisdom to heart and put them to use.

This story was originally published December 19, 2015 at 11:09 PM with the headline "Letter: Solution to sleep issues for students can be found at home."