Why school should start later for teens | Wendy Troxel

Translator: Leslie Gauthier Reviewer: Joanna Pietrulewicz

Prevoditelj: Snjezana Volaric Recezent: Ivan Stamenković

It's six o'clock in the morning,

Šest je sati ujutro,

pitch black outside.

vani je mrkli mrak

My 14-year-old son is fast asleep in his bed,

Moj 14-ogodišnji sin čvrsto spava u svojemu krevetu,

sleeping the reckless, deep sleep of a teenager.

spava neopreznim, dubokim tinejdžerskim snom.

I flip on the light and physically shake the poor boy awake,

Palim svjetlo i budim jadnog dječaka fizički ga protresajući

because I know that, like ripping off a Band-Aid,

jer znam da, kao i skidanje flastera,

it's better to get it over with quickly.

s tim je bolje završiti brzo.

(Laughter)

(Smijeh)

I have a friend who yells "Fire!" just to rouse her sleeping teen.

Moja prijateljica viče: "Vatra!" da bi probudila svojeg uspavanog tinejdžera.

And another who got so fed up

I jednu kojoj je toliko bilo dosta svega

that she had to dump cold water on her son's head

da je istresla hladnu vodu na glavu svoga sina

just to get him out of bed.

samo da bi ga izvukla iz kreveta.

Sound brutal ...

Zvuči brutalno...

but perhaps familiar?

ali možda poznato?

Every morning I ask myself,

Svakog se jutra pitam.

"How can I --

"Kako mogu ---

knowing what I know

znajući to što znam

and doing what I do for a living --

i baveći se poslom kojim se bavim--

be doing this to my own son?"

činiti to svom vlastitom sinu?

You see,

Vidite,

I'm a sleep researcher.

Ja se bavim istraživanjem spavanja.

(Laughter)

(Smijeh)

So I know far too much about sleep

Tako da znam i više nego što bi trebalo o spavanju

and the consequences of sleep loss.

i posljedicama nedostatka sna.

I know that I'm depriving my son of the sleep he desperately needs

Znam da uskraćujem svojem sinu san koji očajnički treba

as a rapidly growing teenager.

kao tinejdžer koji brzo raste.

I also know that by waking him up

Također znam da mu budeći ga

hours before his natural biological clock tells him he's ready,

satima prije nego što će mu njegov prirodni biološki sat reći da je spreman,

I'm literally robbing him of his dreams --

doslovno otimam njegove snove--

the type of sleep most associated with learning, memory consolidation

vrstu sna koja se najviše povezuje s učenjem, konsolidacijom memorije

and emotional processing.

i emocionalnim procesiranjem.

But it's not just my kid that's being deprived of sleep.

Ali nije moje dijete jedino koje je zakinuto za san.

Sleep deprivation among American teenagers is an epidemic.

Nedostatak sna među američkim tinejdžerima postao je epidemija.

Only about one in 10 gets the eight to 10 hours of sleep per night

Tek jedan od deset njih odspava osam do deset sati tijekom noći,

recommended by sleep scientists and pediatricians.

što je preporuka znanstvenika koji se bave spavanjem te pedijatara.

Now, if you're thinking to yourself,

Ako sada razmišljate u sebi

"Phew, we're doing good, my kid's getting eight hours,"

"Uh, mi smo još i dobri, moje dijete odspava osam sati,"

remember,

sjetite se,

eight hours is the minimum recommendation.

osam sati je mininalna preporuka.

You're barely passing.

Jedva ste se provukli.

Eight hours is kind of like getting a C on your report card.

Osam sati je kao da dobijete trojku na svjedodžbi.

There are many factors contributing to this epidemic,

Mnogo je čimbenika koji utječu na ovu epidemiju,

but a major factor preventing teens from getting the sleep they need

ali glavni čimbenik zbog kojega tinejdžeri ne dobivaju dovoljno potrebnog sna

is actually a matter of public policy.

Not hormones, social lives or Snapchat.

Nisu to hormoni, društveni život niti Snapchat.

Across the country,

Diljem zemlje

many schools are starting around 7:30am or earlier,

u mnogim školama nastava počinje oko 7:30 ili čak i ranije

despite the fact that major medical organizations recommend

unatoč činjenici da glavne liječničke organizacije preporučuju

that middle and high school start no earlier than 8:30am.

da nastava u starijim razredima osnovnih škola i srednjim školama počinje u 8:30.

These early start policies have a direct effect on how much --

Ove politike ranog početka nastave imaju izravan učinak na koliko ---

or really how little sleep American teenagers are getting.

ili zapravo koliko malo sna ugrabe američki tinejdžeri.

They're also pitting teenagers and their parents

Te politike također ubacuju tinejdžere i njihove roditelje

in a fundamentally unwinnable fight against their own bodies.

u bitku protiv vlastitih tijela koju u osnovi ne mogu dobiti.

Around the time of puberty,

Oko vremena puberteta

teenagers experience a delay in their biological clock,

tinejdžeri doživljavaju pomak u svojem biološkom satu

which determines when we feel most awake and when we feel most sleepy.

koji odlučuje kad se osjećamo najbudnijima i kada se osjećamo najpospanijima.

This is driven in part by a shift in the release of the hormone melatonin.

Ovo se dijelom događa zbog promjene u izlučivanju hormona melatonina.

Teenagers' bodies wait to start releasing melatonin until around 11pm,

Organizam tinejdžera počinje izlučivati melatonin oko 23 sata,

which is two hours later than what we see in adults or younger children.

što je oko dva sata kasnije nego što primjećujemo kod odraslih ili mlađe djece.

This means that waking a teenager up at 6am is the biological equivalent

To znače da je buđenje tinejdžera u 6 ujutro biološki ekvivalent

of waking an adult up at 4am.

buđenju odrasle osobe u 4 ujutro.

On the unfortunate days when I have to wake up at 4am,

Onih nesretnih dana kada se moram probuditi u 4 ujutro,

I'm a zombie.

ja sam zombi.

Functionally useless.

Nefunkcionalna.

I can't think straight,

Ne mogu razmišljati normalno.

I'm irritable,

Lako me iziritirati

and I probably shouldn't be driving a car.

i vjerojatno ne bih smjela voziti automobil.

But this is how many American teenagers feel every single school day.

A tako se mnogi američki tinejdžeri osjećaju svakog školskog dana.

In fact, many of the, shall we say,

Zapravo, mnoge od, da tako kažemo

unpleasant characteristics that we chalk up to being a teenager --

neugodnih karakteristika koje pripisujemo tinejdžerskoj dobi --

moodiness, irritability, laziness, depression --

promjene raspoloženja, iritabilnost, lijenost, depresija--

could be a product of chronic sleep deprivation.

mogle bi biti proizvod kroničnog nedostatka sna.

For many teens battling chronic sleep loss,

Za mnoge tinejdžere borba protiv kroničnog nedostatka sna,

their go-to strategy to compensate is consuming large quantities of caffeine

njihova strategija kompenzacije sna uključuje velike količine kofeina

in the form of venti frappuccinos,

u obliku venti frappuccina

or energy drinks and shots.

ili energetskih pića.

So essentially,

Dakle, u osnovi,

we've got an entire population of tired but wired youth.

imamo čitavu populaciju umorne, ali prestimulirane mladeži.

Advocates of sleep-friendly start times know

Oni koji podržavaju početak nastave koji omogućuje san znaju

that adolescence is a period of dramatic brain development,

da je adolescencija razdoblje dramatičnog razvoj mozga,

particularly in the parts of the brain

pogotovo dijelova mozga

that are responsible for those higher order thinking processes,

koji su odgovorni za viši red procesa razmišljanja,

including reasoning, problem-solving and good judgment.

uključujući promišljanje, rješavanje problema i dobro prosuđivanje.

In other words, the very type of brain activity that's responsible

Drugim riječima, upravo ta vrsta moždane aktivnosti koja je odgovorna

for reining in those impulsive and often risky behaviors

za kontrolu onih impulsivnih i često riskantnih načina ponašanja

that are so characteristic of adolescence

koja su toliko karakteristični za adolescenciju

and that are so terrifying to us parents of teenagers.

i koja su toliko zastrašujuća za nas roditelje tinejdžera.

They know that like the rest of us,

Znaju da poput nas ostalih,

when teenagers don't get the sleep they need,

kada tinejdžeri ne dobiju dovoljno sna,

their brains, their bodies and behaviors suffer

njihovi mozgovi, njihova tijela i njihovo ponašanje pate

with both immediate and lasting effects.

i od neposrednih i dugotrajnih učinaka.

They can't concentrate,

Ne mogu se koncentrirati,

their attention plummets

pozornost im pada

and many will even show behavioral signs that mimic ADHD.

te će mnogi pokazivati ponašanje nalik onome kod ADHD-a.

But the consequences of teen sleep loss go well beyond the classroom,

Ali posljedice nedostatka sna nisu vidljive samo u učionici

sadly contributing to many of the mental health problems

te nažalost doprinose mnogim problemima mentalnog zdravlja

that skyrocket during adolescence,

koji planu tijekom adolescencije,

including substance use,

uključujući zlouborabu substanci,

depression and suicide.

depresiju i samoubojstvo.

In our work with teens from LA Unified School District,

U svom radu s tinejdžerima iz škola s područja Los Angelesa

we found that teens with sleep problems

otkrili smo da su oni s problemom spavanja

were 55 percent more likely to have used alcohol in the past month.

za 55% više koristili alkohol u prethodnom mjesecu.

In another study with over 30,000 high school students,

U drugoj studiji koja je uključivala 30000 srednjoškolaca,

they found that for each hour of lost sleep,

otkriveno je da je za svaki izgubljeni sat sna

there was a 38 percent increase in feeling sad or hopeless,

povećanje od 38% u osjećaju tuge i beznađa,

and a 58 percent increase in teen suicide attempts.

i 58% povećanja pokušaja tinejđerskih samoubojstava.

And if that's not enough,

I kao da to nije dovoljno,

teens who skip out on sleep are at increased risk

tinejđeri koji ne spavaju dovoljno imaju povećan rizik

for a host of physical health problems that plague our country,

za niz fizičkih zdravstvenih problema koji muče našu zemlju.

including obesity, heart disease and diabetes.

uključujući pretilost, bolesti srca i dijabetes.

Then there's the risk of putting a sleep-deprived teen,

A tu je i rizik stavljanja neispavanog tinejdžera

with a newly minted driver's license,

s glanc novom vozačkom dozvolom

behind the wheel.

za volan.

Studies have shown that getting five hours or less of sleep per night

Istraživanja su pokazala da je pet ili manje sati sna na noć

is the equivalent of driving with a blood alcohol content above the legal limit.

jednako vožnji pod utjecajem alkohola iznad dopuštenog limita.

Advocates of sleep-friendly start times,

Podržavatelji početka nastave koji omogućuje dovoljno sna

and researchers in this area,

i istraživači u ovom području,

have produced tremendous science

došli su do velike količine znanstvenih dokaza

showing the tremendous benefits of later start times.

koji dokazuju ogromne benefite kasnijeg početka nastave.

The findings are unequivocal,

Otkrića su neoboriva

and as a sleep scientist,

i kao znanstvenica koja koja se bavi snom,

I rarely get to speak with that kind of certainty.

rijetko imam priliku govoriti s tolikom sigurnošću.

Teens from districts with later start times get more sleep.

Tinejđeri iz okruga koji kasnije počinju s nastavom, više se naspavaju.

To the naysayers who may think that if schools start later,

Cinicima koji misle da će, ako nastava počinje kasnije,

teens will just stay up later,

tinejdžeri jednostavno ostati još dulje budni,

the truth is,

istina je

their bedtimes stay the same,

da njihovo vrijeme odlaska u krevet ostaje jednako,

but their wake-up times get extended,

a pomiče se vrijeme ustajanja,

resulting in more sleep.

što rezultira s više sna.

They're more likely to show up for school;

Povećavaju se šanse samog dolaska u školu;

school absences dropped by 25 percent in one district.

izostanci su pali za 25% u jednom od okruga.

And they're less likely to drop out.

I smanjuju se šanse da napuste školu.

Not surprisingly, they do better academically.

I nije iznenađujuće da pokazuju bolje akademske rezultate.

So this has real implications for reducing the achievement gap.

Dakle, ovo ima stvarni utjecaj na smanjivanje razlika u postignućima.

Standardized test scores in math and reading

Rezultati standardiziranih testova u matematici i čitanju

go up by two to three percentage points.

rastu za dva do tri postotna boda.

That's as powerful as reducing class sizes by one-third fewer students,

To je jednako važno kao reduciranje razreda za trećinu učenika

or replacing a so-so teacher in the classroom

ili zamjenu srednje kvalitetnog učitelja u razredu

with a truly outstanding one.

s onim zbilja iznimnim.

Their mental and physical health improves,

Njihovo mentalno i fizičko stanje se popravlja,

and even their families are happier.

a čak su im i obitelji sretnije.

I mean, who wouldn't enjoy a little more pleasantness from our teens,

Hoću reći, tko ne bi uživao u malo više ljubaznosti od naših tinejdžera,

and a little less crankiness?

malo manje lošeg raspoloženja?

Even their communities are safer

Čak su i zajednice sigunije

because car crash rates go down --

jer pada stopa prometnih nezgoda --

a 70 percent reduction in one district.

70% pada u jednom okrugu.

Given these tremendous benefits,

Uzimajući o obzir ove ogromne benefite,

you might think,

mogli biste pomisliti

well, this is a no-brainer, right?

da se nema o čemu puno razmišljati, zar ne?

So why have we as a society failed to heed this call?

Pa zašto smo onda kao društvo propustili primijetiti ovaj poziv?

Often the argument against later start times goes something like this:

Obično argument protiv kasnijeg početka ide ovako nekako:

"Why should we delay start times for teenagers?

"Zašto bismo odgodili početak nastave za tinejdžere?

We need to toughen them up so they're ready for the real world!"

Moramo ih očvrsnuti kako bi bili spremni za stvarni svijet!"

But that's like saying to the parent of a two-year-old,

Ali to je kao da kažemo roditelju dvogodišnjaka:

"Don't let Johnny nap,

Ne daj Johnnyju da odrijema

or he won't be ready for kindergarten."

jer neće biti spreman za vrtić."

(Laughter)

(Smijeh)

Delaying start times also presents many logistical challenges.

Odgađanje početka nastave prestavlja i brojne logističke izazove.

Not just for students and their families,

Ne samo za učenike i nihove obitelji,

but for communities as a whole.

već i za čitavu zajednicu.

Updating bus routes,

Promijeniti rasporede autobusa,

increased transportation costs,

povećanje troškova transporta,

impact on sports,

utjecaj na sportove,

care before or after school.

brigu prije ili poslije škole.

These are the same concerns that come up in district after district,

To su isti problemi koji se javljaju u okrugu za okrugom,

time and again around the country

uvijek iznova diljem zemlje

as school start times are debated.

kada se raspravlja o početku nastave.

And they're legitimate concerns,

I sve su to legitimne brige,

but these are problems we have to work through.

ali to su problemi koje moramo riješiti.

They are not valid excuses

Nisu to dovoljno važne isprike

for failing to do the right thing for our children,

zbog kojih ne bismo učinili pravu stvar za svoju djecu,

which is to start middle and high schools no earlier than 8:30am.

a to je pomaknuti početak nastave za tinejđere na ne ranije od 8:30.

And in districts around the country,

I okruzi diljem zemlje,

big and small, who have made this change,

veliki i mali, koji su učinili ovu promjenu,

they found that these fears are often unfounded

shvatili su da su strahovi često neutemeljeni

and far outweighed by the tremendous benefits for student health

te daleko manje važni od ogromnih benefita za zdravlje učenika

and performance,

za njihov uspjeh,

and our collective public safety.

za našu kolektivnu javnu sigurnost.

So tomorrow morning,

Pa onda sutra ujutro,

when coincidentally we get to set our clocks back by an hour

kada, evo slučajno pomičemo sat unatrag

and you get that delicious extra hour of sleep,

i kada dobijete taj prekrasan dodatni sat sna,

and the day seems a little longer,

i dan se učini malo duljim,

and a little more full of hope,

i malo ispunjeniji nadom,

think about the tremendous power of sleep.

promislite o ogromnoj moći sna.

And think about what a gift it would be

I razmislite kakav bi to bio poklon

for our children to be able to wake up naturally,

kada bi se naša djeca mogla buditi prirodno,

in harmony with their own biology.

u skladu sa svojom biologijom.

Thank you,

Hvala vam

and pleasant dreams.

i ugodni snovi.