Dr. Kimberly Fenn was featured in an ABC News article about later school start times for teens

April 6, 2022

Several states and school districts across the United States are considering implementing later school start times for high schoolers, thanks to the efforts of researchers like Dr. Kimberly Fenn.

Evidence suggests that later school start times would benefit teenagers for many reasons. Adolescents have a natural tendency to stay awake later at night than children and adults, so starting school later, 8:30am at the earliest, means that adolescents will have a better chance of getting the hours of sleep they need to feel and perform their best. 

"A lot of high schools start at 7 a.m. or 7:30 -- that puts these kids in this really terrible position," Kimberly Fenn, an associate professor of psychology and director of the Sleep and Learning Lab at Michigan State University, told ABC News. "Any amount they can shift back is going to benefit the students."

Starting school later would also increase adolescents' light exposure in the morning, which has been shown to reduce grogginess and improve focus.  

Read the article here.