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AAP 'Let Them Sleep' school start times recommendation

Also: School Start Times for Adolescents (AAP policy statement)

In August 2014 the American Academy of Pediatrics told US middle and high schools to start at 8:30 a.m. or later so teenagers can get 8.5 to 9.5 hours of sleep, and launched it with a press release and wide news coverage. It also asked pediatricians to counsel teens and parents on sleep and to educate school boards, coaches and parents; school start campaigns and state laws since cite it as their main medical authority.

Years
2014–now
Country
United States
Topic
Child healthSleep
Asks people to
Support a policyTalk to someone
Strategy
Trusted messenger
Channel
Clinical settingWebsite
Audience
CliniciansGeneral publicParents
School boards and superintendents, pediatricians, parents

Evidence

NoneUnknown

No evaluation of the statement's effect. At launch, about 40% of high schools started before 8 a.m. and 15% at 8:30 or later (AAP, via NPR); CDC found 17.7% of public middle and high schools started at 8:30 a.m. or later in 2011-12.

Sponsor (who paid)

  • American Academy of Pediatrics NGO

Credits (who made it)

Not recorded yet.

Related campaigns

Sources

  1. Pediatricians say school should start later for teens' health (NPR via NHPR, 25 Aug 2014) news
  2. Pediatricians: start school later so teens get enough sleep (Education Week, 25 Aug 2014) news
  3. School Start Times for Adolescents (AAP policy statement, Pediatrics 2014) reference · 2014 · DOI 10.1542/peds.2014-1697
  4. School start times for middle school and high school students, United States, 2011-12 (CDC MMWR, 2015) reference · 2015

Research notes

Created 2026-10-24 by an AI research pass for #103 (G1); not reviewed by a person. This is a policy statement with a media launch more than a sustained campaign; 'Let Them Sleep' is in the press release URL slug, not seen as a heading, so it is not used as a tagline. The AAP press release page was not opened. endYear null because the statement is still cited, not because AAP runs an active campaign; reviewer may prefer 2014. To verify: 2014, 8:30 a.m., 8.5-9.5 hours, 40%, 15%, 17.7%, 2011-12.

Record cases/aap-school-start-times-2014.json, updated 2026-10-24· Link to this campaign