World News for Students of English

26-11-2025 07:00

Sleep deprivation is a big problem for American teenagers, as very few get the 8 to 10 hours of sleep that doctors recommend. The main reason is that many schools start too early, often around 7:30 am, which is not natural to teenagers’ bodies.

During puberty, a teen’s natural clock changes, meaning they cannot feel sleepy until about 11 pm. Waking them up at 6 am. is like waking an adult at 4 am. This is the cause of many unpleasant teen behaviors, such as being moody and irritable. It also causes serious health problems like depression and an increased risk of car accidents and diseases.

Medical groups say middle and high schools should start no earlier than 8:30 am. Areas which made this change see many benefits: students sleep more, do better in school, don’t skip classes as much, and have better health.

Difficult words: sleep deprivation (not getting enough sleep), behavior (the way a person acts), irritable (quickly made angry).

You can watch the original video in the Level 3 section.