Catherine Sweeney - WPLN | Health News Florida

Science says teens need more sleep. So why is it so hard to start school later?

Research about sleep and teens' brains has spurred a few states to bar high schools from starting classes very early. But in Nashville, they still start at 7:05 a.m., and changing that won't be easy.

The science is clear that teens can benefit from later school start times, but in Nashville and other communities, it's politically difficult to make the change.

NPR Health

Science says teens need more sleep. So why is it so hard to start school later?

Catherine Sweeney - WPLN

Reasearch shows teens don't get sleepy until 10:45 or 11 p.m. But high school classes in Nashville still start at 7:05 a.m. "It's not a badge of honor," says the mayor.

Cicely Wilson is the founder of Sunnyside Up, a nonprofit in Nashville that connects pregnant teens with resources they need to care for their babies.

Health News Florida

A long decrease in teen births slows. Concerns rise that a reversal is coming

Catherine Sweeney - WPLN

After decades of declines, data show teen pregnancy rates are starting to plateau. Experts cite the reversal of Roe, efforts to suspend sex ed in schools and higher rates of youth mental health issues.