Hysical Health Benefits

hysical Health Benefits of Delaying School Start Times According to a poll conducted by The National Sleep Foundation (NSF) (2011), a nonprofit organization directed by doctors from Stanford, Clayton and John Hopkins University, at least 60% of students reported being tired during the day and 15% stated they had fallen asleep during school that year. The NSF also found that 59% of sixth through eighth grade students and 87% of the high school population in the United States were receiving less than the recommended amount of sleeping hours on school nights. Due to the current school start times in America, it has become difficult for students to obtain the necessary eight hours of sleep recommended by the Stanford Medical Center and American

Research examiners of the FASEB Journal (1996), a scientific journal promoting scientific progress and education, performed a study consisting of 120 individuals. The participants were only permitted to obtain 4 hours of sleep, making them sleep deprived. The effects of the loss of sleep in the participants were clear. The sleep deprivation caused a decrease in the number of natural killer (NK) cells, which are cells that play a critical role in bacteria-rejection of the immune system. By impacting the overall effectiveness of the immune system, the body had become weaker and was not able to fight off viruses such as the common cold or a sore throat. Due to the inadequate amount of sleep acquired, the normal processes of the immune system had been

The researchers compared two groups of participants; sleep deprived and non sleep deprived. The group of non sleep deprived individuals gained eight and half to ten hours of sleep, while the sleep deprived group only acquired two and half to four hours of sleep. Both of the control groups were given the influenza shot, the flu vaccine. The executive researchers determined and compared the effectiveness of the vaccine in each of the groups. Individuals who had been deprived of sleep were 47% more immune to the influenza vaccine, AAA (2005). For the same reason as the study conducted by the FASEB Journal, the NK cells had been weakened and were unable to process the vaccine due to the harmful amounts of sleep being obtained. The FASEB Journal and American Academy of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology selectively analyze the detrimental effects sleep loss can potentially have on the immune system. Sleep deprivation directly weakened the host-fighting cells of the immune system (NK) and their ability to process vaccines such as influenza. By allowing students the ability to gain the recommended amount of sleep, the physical health of the students will be greatly assisted by reducing the risk of obesity in and strengthening the immune