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Pediatricians promote more sleep for students

Members of the American Academy of Pediatrics have pushed Chicago officials to roll back public school start times to allow middle and high school students to get more sleep.

The efforts have been rebuffed. But medical experts on Thursday attended a City Council Health Committee hearing to outline options to deal with sleep deprivation among teenagers. They don't go as far as a later start of the school day.

Lurie Children's Hospital Sleep Medicine Center Director Dr. Stephen Sheldon says students can be helped by scheduling math, science and reading classes in the afternoon. He also said making classrooms brighter in the morning and opening nap rooms would help students perform better.

Health Committee Chairman George Cardenas says he agrees with Sheldon's assessments and his suggestions should be tried.

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