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Sleep medicine advocacy matters for public health and safety

2023; American Academy of Sleep Medicine; Volume: 19; Issue: 10 Linguagem: Inglês

10.5664/jcsm.10692

1550-9397

Shannon Sullivan, Muhammad Adeel Rishi,

Pediatric health and respiratory diseases

Free AccessLetters to the EditorSleep medicine advocacy matters for public health and safety Shannon S. Sullivan, MD, Muhammad Adeel Rishi, MD, for the Public Safety Committee of the American Academy of Sleep Medicine Shannon S. Sullivan, MD Address correspondence to: Shannon S. Sullivan, MD, 770 Welch Road, Suite 350, Palo Alto, CA 94304; Email: E-mail Address: [email protected] Division of Pulmonary, Asthma, and Sleep Medicine, Department of Pediatrics, Stanford University School of Medicine, Palo Alto, California , Muhammad Adeel Rishi, MD Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, Indiana , for the Public Safety Committee of the American Academy of Sleep Medicine Published Online:October 1, 2023https://doi.org/10.5664/jcsm.10692SectionsEpubPDF ShareShare onFacebookTwitterLinkedInRedditEmail ToolsAdd to favoritesDownload CitationsTrack Citations AboutINTRODUCTIONOn May 12, 2023, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis signed a bill into law to change school start times to no earlier than 8 am for middle schools and 8:30 am for high schools in the state, starting in 2026.1 Florida, where currently about 48% of high schools start before 7:30 am,2 is the second state in the country, behind California,3 to pass a law regarding later school start times, a move advocated by the American Academy of Sleep Medicine,4 the American Medical Association,5 and the American Academy of Pediatrics.6 The efforts of advocates, including the American Academy of Sleep Medicine, have made a difference in policies that stand to improve the sleep health of many. When it comes to sleep health and public policy, much work needs to be done, and we are all part of the equation.In April, members of the American Academy of Sleep Medicine met with lawmakers and staff on Capitol Hill to highlight key sleep public health messages, including speaking to the implications of clock policy. In March 2023, US Senator Marco Rubio again filed legislation that would make daylight saving time permanent across the country.7 Ironically, from the perspective of US children headed to school in the fall and winter months, permanent daylight saving time would serve to undo the sleep-related benefits of starting school later in the morning by shifting sunrise an hour later according to the clock.8 There is some cause for alarm from a safety perspective too, since middle schoolers in Florida—and students of all ages in many parts of the country—would commute to and arrive at school before sunrise during the late autumn and winter months. It was precisely this eventuality that soured public opinion on permanent daylight saving time the last time it was tried in the United States, in 1974. That time, the national policy lasted less than a year.It is remarkable to observe the degree to which a broad coalition of American Academy of Sleep Medicine members and leadership, as well as other medical societies, has stepped up to advocate for sleep as an essential element of health.9 In the last few years, the sleep field has been beset by challenges: the Covid-19 pandemic, a major device recall, and staff shortages, to name a few. The optimism and pragmatic idealism of sleep advocacy for public health serves to remind us of the importance of our purpose—healthy sleep, every night, for every person.DISCLOSURE STATEMENTAll authors have seen and approved this manuscript. The authors report no conflicts of interest.REFERENCES1. Florida Senate. CS/HB 733: Middle school and high school start times. https://www.flsenate.gov/Session/Bill/2023/733/. Approved May 12, 2023. Accessed May 22, 2023. Google Scholar2. Office of Program Policy Analysis and Government Accountability. Status Report: OPPAGA Research on School Start Times. https://oppaga.fl.gov/Documents/Presentations/OPPAGA%20%20Presentation%20on%20School%20Start%20Times%20to%20House%20Choice%20&%20Innovation%2002-09-2023.pdf. February 9, 2023. Accessed May 22, 2023. Google Scholar3. California Legislature. SB-328 Pupil Attendance: School Start Time. https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billTextClient.xhtml?bill_id=201920200SB328. Approved October 13, 2019. Accessed May 22, 2023. Google Scholar4. Watson NF, Martin JL, Wise MS, et al. American Academy of Sleep Medicine Board of Directors. American Academy of Sleep Medicine Board of Directors. Delaying middle school and high school start times promotes student health and performance: an American Academy of Sleep Medicine position statement. J Clin Sleep Med. 2017;13(4):623–625. LinkGoogle Scholar5. American Medical Association. Children and Youth. Insufficient Sleep in Adolescents H-60.930. https://policysearch.ama-assn.org/policyfinder/detail/school%20start%20time?uri=%2FAMADoc%2FHOD.xml-0-5024.xml. Year last modified: 2016. Accessed May 22, 2023. Google Scholar6. Adolescent Sleep Working Group; Committee on Adolescence; Council on School Health. School start times for adolescents. Pediatrics. 2014;134(3):642–649. CrossrefGoogle Scholar7. US Congress. 118th Congress (2023–2024). S.582 – Sunshine Protection Act of 2023. https://www.congress.gov/bill/118th-congress/senate-bill/582. Introduced March 1, 2023. Accessed May 22, 2023. Google Scholar8. Rishi MA, Ahmed O, Barrantes Perez JH, et al.. Daylight saving time: an American Academy of Sleep Medicine position statement. J Clin Sleep Med. 2020;16(10):1781–1784. LinkGoogle Scholar9. Ramar K, Malhotra RK, Carden KA, et al.. Sleep is essential to health: an American Academy of Sleep Medicine position statement. J Clin Sleep Med. 2021;17(10):2115–2119. LinkGoogle Scholar Previous article FiguresReferencesRelatedDetails Volume 19 • Issue 10 • October 1, 2023ISSN (print): 1550-9389ISSN (online): 1550-9397Frequency: Monthly Metrics History Submitted for publicationMay 22, 2023Submitted in final revised formJune 15, 2023Accepted for publicationJune 15, 2023Published onlineOctober 1, 2023 Information© 2023 American Academy of Sleep MedicinePDF download