Why school should start later for teens | Wendy Troxel

Translator: Leslie Gauthier Reviewer: Joanna Pietrulewicz

翻译人员: Yanyan Hong 校对人员: Wilde Luo

It's six o'clock in the morning,

早上六点，

pitch black outside.

外面一片漆黑，

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

我十四岁的儿子 正在床上熟睡着，

sleeping the reckless, deep sleep of a teenager.

睡意正浓，这是少年特有的沉睡。

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

我打开了灯并摇醒了 这可怜的孩子，

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

因为我知道这就如同 撕掉创口贴一样，

it's better to get it over with quickly.

最好速战速决。

(Laughter)

（笑声）

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

我有个朋友为了叫醒她处于 青少年期的孩子不得不喊"着火了"

And another who got so fed up

另一位更是无可奈何，

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

她直接把冷水浇到儿子的头上，

just to get him out of bed.

只为了让他起床，

Sound brutal ...

听起来很残忍，

but perhaps familiar?

但是却如此熟悉?

Every morning I ask myself,

每天早上我都会问自己：

"How can I --

“我怎么能...

knowing what I know

无视我所知道的事实、

and doing what I do for a living --

我赖以为生的技能，

be doing this to my own son?"

但却如此对待我自己的儿子？”

You see,

你瞧，

I'm a sleep researcher.

我是一名睡眠研究员。

(Laughter)

（笑声）

So I know far too much about sleep

我知道太多关于睡眠

and the consequences of sleep loss.

和睡眠不足的后果，

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

我知道我正在剥夺 我儿子急切需要的睡眠，

as a rapidly growing teenager.

做为一名迅速成长的青少年。

I also know that by waking him up

我也知道

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

当他生物钟叫他自然醒的几小时前，

I'm literally robbing him of his dreams --

我实际上是在夺走他的梦想——

the type of sleep most associated with learning, memory consolidation

这种与学习、记忆 整合、情绪处理等能力

and emotional processing.

密切相关的睡眠。

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

但不只是我的孩子被剥夺了睡眠，

Sleep deprivation among American teenagers is an epidemic.

大多美国青少年的睡眠都在被剥夺，

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

只有不到十分之一的孩子 平均每晚能睡八到十小时，

recommended by sleep scientists and pediatricians.

这是睡眠科学家和 儿科医生推荐的睡眠时长。

Now, if you're thinking to yourself,

现在，想想你的情况，

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

“呼，我们做得很好， 我的孩子可以睡八个小时。”

remember,

记住，

eight hours is the minimum recommendation.

八小时只是最低标准。

You're barely passing.

你仅仅及格，

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

八小时相当于你的报告得了个 C。

There are many factors contributing to this epidemic,

造成这种情况的因素有很多，

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

但剥夺青少年所需要的睡眠，

is actually a matter of public policy.

实际上是公共政策问题。

Not hormones, social lives or Snapchat.

不是荷尔蒙、社交生活 或者 Snapchat (即时通讯工具)。

Across the country,

全国各地，

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

很多学校都在早上7:30 开始 或者更早，

despite the fact that major medical organizations recommend

尽管大型医疗机构建议，

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

中学和高中不应早于上午8:30开课。

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

学校过早要求上学直接影响了

or really how little sleep American teenagers are getting.

美国青少年的睡眠时间有多“少”。

They're also pitting teenagers and their parents

这导致青少年和他们的家长

in a fundamentally unwinnable fight against their own bodies.

不得不与他们的身体 做一场难以战胜的对抗。

Around the time of puberty,

正处于青春期的孩子，

teenagers experience a delay in their biological clock,

他们的生物钟会被扰乱——

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

它决定着我们何时清醒、何时困倦。

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

这一部分是由于褪黑激素的释放 所引起的，

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

青少年的身体一般在 晚上11点左右开始释放褪黑激素，

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

这比一个成年人 或是小孩子晚了近两小时。

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

这意味着你在早上六点钟 叫醒一个青少年，

生理上等于说是在凌晨四点 叫醒一个成年人。

of waking an adult up at 4am.

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

特别是在某些悲惨的时候， 我还不得不凌晨四点起床。

I'm a zombie.

那我简直就像是个僵尸了。

Functionally useless.

整个身体都是麻木的。

I can't think straight,

我简直无法思考，

I'm irritable,

我会烦躁，

and I probably shouldn't be driving a car.

我可能连车都开不好。

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

但这就是每天上学的无数 美国青少年所要面对的，

In fact, many of the, shall we say,

事实上，我们很多人都认为

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

青少年有很多不好的特质——

moodiness, irritability, laziness, depression --

像是情绪低落，烦躁， 慵懒，抑郁——

could be a product of chronic sleep deprivation.

这都是由于睡眠被长期剥夺 所造成的。

For many teens battling chronic sleep loss,

对于很多青少年来说， 为了对抗缺失的睡眠时间，

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

他们通过摄入大量的咖啡因，

in the form of venti frappuccinos,

比如说是大杯的星冰乐，

or energy drinks and shots.

或者功能饮料。

So essentially,

所以基本上来说，

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

我们所有的年轻人都很疲惫， 但同时却又极度兴奋。

Advocates of sleep-friendly start times know

支持需要更多睡眠时间的人们明白，

that adolescence is a period of dramatic brain development,

青春期是大脑发育 极其重要的一个时期，

particularly in the parts of the brain

特别是大脑的某些部分，

that are responsible for those higher order thinking processes,

那些负责更高层次思考的部分，

including reasoning, problem-solving and good judgment.

包括推理能力，解决问题能力 和良好的判断能力。

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

换句话说， 就是这些负责大脑活动的部分，

for reining in those impulsive and often risky behaviors

它们能够抑制冲动及危险行为，

that are so characteristic of adolescence

这也是青春期的某些不良特征，

and that are so terrifying to us parents of teenagers.

也是那些造成父母无比困扰的行为。

They know that like the rest of us,

他们明白就像我们一样，

when teenagers don't get the sleep they need,

如果青少年得不到充足的睡眠，

their brains, their bodies and behaviors suffer

他们的大脑、身体和行为都会

with both immediate and lasting effects.

受到立竿见影的影响。

They can't concentrate,

他们不能集中精力，

their attention plummets

注意力直线下降，

and many will even show behavioral signs that mimic ADHD.

甚至一部分青少年出现了 注意缺陷多动障碍(ADHD），

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

而且青少年缺乏睡眠的不良后果 还远远不只是局限于学习上，

sadly contributing to many of the mental health problems

还可悲地促成了许多心理健康问题，

that skyrocket during adolescence,

这些在青春期显得极为严重，

including substance use,

包括滥用药物，

depression and suicide.

抑郁和自杀。

In our work with teens from LA Unified School District,

对来自洛杉矶联合学区的 青少年做的研究显示，

we found that teens with sleep problems

那些睡眠不足的青少年中，

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

百分之五十五在过去一个月中 酗酒的现象更严重。

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

另一项对三万名高中生的研究显示，

they found that for each hour of lost sleep,

每缺少一个小时的睡眠，

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

沮丧和忧伤的情绪 就会增长百分之三十八，

and a 58 percent increase in teen suicide attempts.

同时自杀倾向也增长百分之五十八。

And if that's not enough,

而这还没完，

teens who skip out on sleep are at increased risk

那些缺乏睡眠的青少年

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

更有可能患上身体上的健康疾病， 这些疾病困扰着我们的国家，

including obesity, heart disease and diabetes.

包括肥胖、心血管疾病和糖尿病。

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

这些所带来的威胁就像是 一个昏昏欲睡的青少年

with a newly minted driver's license,

拿着刚刚考出的驾照，

behind the wheel.

开车上路一样。

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

研究显示每晚少于五小时的睡眠时间，

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

就和非法酒驾没什么区别。

Advocates of sleep-friendly start times,

提倡更多睡眠时间的人，

and researchers in this area,

以及这块地区的研究者们，

have produced tremendous science

用大量的科学数据证明

showing the tremendous benefits of later start times.

学生应该晚点上课的巨大好处，

The findings are unequivocal,

调查结果非常明确。

and as a sleep scientist,

作为一位睡眠研究人员，

I rarely get to speak with that kind of certainty.

我很少用如此肯定的态度发表演说。

Teens from districts with later start times get more sleep.

青少年应该晚些上课， 因为他们需要更多的睡眠时间。

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

对于那些反对者，也许他们会想 如果学习推迟上课时间，

teens will just stay up later,

青少年就会熬夜到更晚。

the truth is,

可事实告诉我们却是，

their bedtimes stay the same,

他们睡觉时间并没有改变，

but their wake-up times get extended,

但是他们的起床时间晚了，

resulting in more sleep.

也就拥有了更多睡眠时间。

They're more likely to show up for school;

他们也更有可能去学校而非逃课；

school absences dropped by 25 percent in one district.

缺席率至少降低了百分之二十五，

And they're less likely to drop out.

他们退学率也降低了。

Not surprisingly, they do better academically.

不出意外，他们的成绩也提高了。

So this has real implications for reducing the achievement gap.

所以这对减少“成就落差”也有好处。

Standardized test scores in math and reading

数学及阅读的标准化测验显示，

go up by two to three percentage points.

他们的得分提高了两到三个百分点。

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

这简直比小班化教育带来的成果 还要显著，

or replacing a so-so teacher in the classroom

或是给一个班换一个

with a truly outstanding one.

更优秀的老师。

Their mental and physical health improves,

他们不管是在心理 还是身体上都得到了提升，

and even their families are happier.

甚至家庭都变得更和睦了。

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

我的的意思是，谁不会喜欢 我们的孩子多一些健康快乐，

and a little less crankiness?

少一些偏执狂妄呢？

Even their communities are safer

甚至他们的生活都变得更安全，

because car crash rates go down --

因为至少撞车率可以低一些——

a 70 percent reduction in one district.

至少一个街区可以少百分之七十。

Given these tremendous benefits,

有如此诸多的益处，

you might think,

你或许会想，

well, this is a no-brainer, right?

这简直百利而无一害，不是吗？

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

那为什么我们的社会 没有响应这样的号召？

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

往往那些反对推迟上课的声音会说:

"Why should we delay start times for teenagers?

“为什么我们要推迟 青少年的上课时间呢？

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

我们应该好好锻炼他们，让他们 早点适应这个真实残酷的世界!”

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

但这就等于一个两岁孩子的父母说，

"Don't let Johnny nap,

“别让约翰尼午睡，

or he won't be ready for kindergarten."

否则他怎么能适应幼儿园生活呢。”

(Laughter)

（笑声）

Delaying start times also presents many logistical challenges.

推迟上课时间也要 面对很多后勤方面的挑战，

Not just for students and their families,

不只是学生和他们的家庭，

but for communities as a whole.

也是对于整个社会来说。

Updating bus routes,

更新校车路线，

increased transportation costs,

提高交通开销，

impact on sports,

影响课余时间的

care before or after school.

体育培训和托管。

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

这些需要考虑的因素

time and again around the country

在全国各地讨论“推迟上课时间” 的时候

as school start times are debated.

都会被提到。

And they're legitimate concerns,

这在法律上也存在问题。

but these are problems we have to work through.

但是这些是我们需要面对的问题

They are not valid excuses

它们不是

for failing to do the right thing for our children,

放弃为我们的孩子 做正确的事情的借口，

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

那就是要让初中和高中的 上课时间不早于八点半。

And in districts around the country,

每一个学区，到全国都是如此，

big and small, who have made this change,

不管大小城市，我们必须做出改变，

they found that these fears are often unfounded

因为我们对于改革的恐惧， 常常是没有道理的，

and far outweighed by the tremendous benefits for student health

远远没有学生的健康、

and performance,

他们的表现，

and our collective public safety.

和整个社会的公共安全来的重要。

So tomorrow morning,

所以我多希望从明天早上起，

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

我们碰巧一不小心都把 自己的闹钟推迟了一小时，

and you get that delicious extra hour of sleep,

我们多了一个小时甜美的睡眠，

and the day seems a little longer,

我们的日子似乎长了一点，

and a little more full of hope,

多了一些希望，

think about the tremendous power of sleep.

想想睡眠能赐予我们的力量，

And think about what a gift it would be

想想这会是一个多好的礼物

for our children to be able to wake up naturally,

我们能送给孩子的： 让他们能被自己的生物钟

in harmony with their own biology.

温柔地从睡梦中唤醒。

Thank you,

谢谢大家，

and pleasant dreams.

祝大家好梦。