Title: Expressing support for the designation of the third week of September as National Student Sleep Health Week.
Policy area: Health

Summary:
This resolution supports the designation of National Student Sleep Health Week and recognizes the importance of policies to improve sleep health in children and adolescents.
It also encourages public health officials, educators, parents, and others to promote adequate sleep.

[Congressional Bills 116th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Res. 1103 Introduced in House (IH)]

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116th CONGRESS
  2d Session
H. RES. 1103

 Expressing support for the designation of the third week of September 
                 as National Student Sleep Health Week.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                           September 11, 2020

 Ms. Lofgren (for herself and Mr. Rodney Davis of Illinois) submitted 
the following resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Energy 
and Commerce, and in addition to the Committee on Education and Labor, 
for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case 
for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of 
                        the committee concerned

_______________________________________________________________________

                               RESOLUTION


 
 Expressing support for the designation of the third week of September 
                 as National Student Sleep Health Week.

Whereas healthy sleep is essential for the health, well-being, and safety of the 
        students of the United States;
Whereas healthy sleep is associated with healthy child development and better 
        health outcomes in children and adolescents, including improved 
        concentration, behavior, learning, memory, emotional regulation, quality 
        of life, and mental and physical health;
Whereas 25 percent of all children experience some type of sleep disturbance 
        during childhood, including sleep disorders such as delayed sleep-wake 
        phase disorder, insomnia, obstructive sleep apnea, and restless legs 
        syndrome;
Whereas the new, unknown, and rapidly changing realities of the COVID-19 
        pandemic have caused widespread sleep disturbances in children;
Whereas the amount of sleep needed to promote optimal health in children and 
        adolescents varies by age;
Whereas the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the American Academy of 
        Pediatrics, the American Academy of Sleep Medicine, and the Sleep 
        Research Society recommend that teenagers sleep 8 to 10 hours per 24 
        hours on a regular basis to promote optimal health;
Whereas data collected by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention show 
        that 75 percent of high school students in the United States report 
        getting insufficient sleep on school nights;
Whereas the average sleep duration reported by adolescents varies by race, with 
        a higher percentage of Black high school students reporting insufficient 
        sleep on school nights than White and Latino students;
Whereas shifts in biological rhythms during puberty causes adolescents to become 
        sleepy later at night and wake up later in the morning;
Whereas insufficient sleep, erratic sleep and wake schedules, late bedtimes, and 
        poor sleep quality are associated with worse school performance for 
        adolescents;
Whereas insufficient sleep increases the risk of accidents, injuries, 
        hypertension, obesity, diabetes, and depression;
Whereas insufficient sleep in teenagers is associated with an increased risk of 
        self-harm, suicidal thoughts, and suicide attempts;
Whereas the Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion at the Department 
        of Health and Human Services seeks to increase the proportion of 
        students in grades 9 through 12 who get sufficient sleep as part of 
        Healthy People 2020, a Federal initiative to improve the health of all 
        Americans;
Whereas the American Academy of Pediatrics, the American Medical Association, 
        and the American Academy of Sleep Medicine recommends that middle school 
        and high school start times should be 8:30 a.m. or later to promote 
        student health and performance;
Whereas data show that 83 percent of middle schools and 93 percent of high 
        schools in the United States start before 8:30 a.m.;
Whereas insufficient sleep in teenagers is associated with an increased risk of 
        drinking and driving, texting while driving, and drowsy driving;
Whereas the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration considers drowsy 
        driving to be a profound impairment that mimics alcohol-impaired driving 
        in many ways, including slower reaction times and impaired attention, 
        mental processing, judgement, and decision making;
Whereas the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety estimates that drowsy driving 
        causes an average of 328,000 motor vehicle accidents in the United 
        States each year, including 6,400 fatal crashes;
Whereas drivers between 16 and 24 years of age are 80 percent more likely to be 
        involved in a drowsy driving crash than adults who are 40 years of age 
        or older;
Whereas Congress established the National Center on Sleep Disorders Research in 
        1993 to foster the coordination of sleep and circadian research within 
        the National Institutes of Health and other Federal agencies;
Whereas sleep medicine is a multi-disciplinary medical specialty involving 
        internal medicine physicians, pulmonologists, neurologists, 
        psychiatrists, otolaryngologists, family physicians, pediatricians, 
        anesthesiologists, dentists, psychologists, advanced practice providers, 
        sleep technologists, and other health care professionals; and
Whereas more sleep and circadian research is needed to help improve the 
        treatment of sleep disorders and reduce sleep health disparities in 
        children and adolescents: Now, therefore, be it
    Resolved, That the House of Representatives--
            (1) supports the designation of National Student Sleep 
        Health Week;
            (2) supports the goals and efforts of National Student 
        Sleep Health Week;
            (3) encourages public health officials, healthcare 
        providers, educators, parents, and students to do their part to 
        promote adequate sleep;
            (4) encourages children and adolescents to practice good 
        sleep hygiene and discuss their sleep health with parents, 
        teachers, and medical professionals; and
            (5) recognizes the continued importance of--
                    (A) policies to improve sleep health in children 
                and adolescents; and
                    (B) work to understand and reduce sleep health 
                disparities in children and adolescents.
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