Utah school district considers later high school start time

PARK CITY, Utah (AP) — School officials in Park City are taking steps to become the first public school district in Utah to implement a later start time for high school students.

Experts say teens' natural sleep-wake cycles involve sleeping later in the morning and that allowing them to do so can decrease disciplinary issues and improve academic performance.

According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, "insufficient sleep is common among high school students and is associated with several health risks, such as being overweight, drinking alcohol, smoking tobacco and using drugs, as well as poor academic performance."