Sleep specialist advocates for later school start times in U.S. to improve student health

Sleep specialist Jeffrey Rose is advocating for later school start times in the U.S. as part of Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s Make America Healthy Again movement. Rose emphasizes that many high school students are sleep-deprived, impacting their focus and learning. Rose leads the Rockland County chapter of "Start Schools Later," which aims to push back high school start times. He cites studies showing that later start times can improve student health and academic performance, with California and Florida already implementing such changes. Rose believes that addressing sleep issues is crucial for education reform. He notes that over 77% of high school students report insufficient sleep, which can lead to reliance on substances for focus and relaxation.