From the Foreword There are times when one person can spark a tremendous change. One such spark is the story of how Lisa L. Lewis helped improve the sleep health of millions of kids. For over 20 years, I was aware of the increasing data that our adolescents were systematically being sleep deprived by society, and that the school system was one of the biggest drivers of this problem. I could recite the literature that delaying school start times would improve the health of our children. I spoke about it may times over my career. But even after having spoken at several schools, I too had grown cynical that we could make a change. Although the audience was always interested in the information, they inevitably would politely say they were powerless to make any changes or that the science did not apply to their communities. You can imagine how surprised I was to learn that a bill had been introduced in my adopted home state of California by State Senator Anthony Portantino to delay school start times to help adolescents get more sleep. I was even more surprised when I learned that he introduced the bill after reading a commentary Lisa had written, "Why School Should Start Later in the Day," which ran in the Los Angeles Times in September 2016. One of the many facts that resonated with him was how sleep deprivation can be a factor in suicidal behavior, given that a close family member of his had died by suicide. That state bill, which called for the public high schools and junior high schools in California to implement healthier starting times, was quickly defeated in Sacramento. But the spark was lit. Sen. Portantino vowed to work through the legislative process to re-introduce the bill. The second time around, the bill made it out of the legislature only to be vetoed the governor. Undeterred, and with a growing coalition of supporters and increasing scientific data, he introduced the bill for a third time. We worked together throughout the journey as part of a collective effort by a small, dedicated group of volunteers, including Joy Wake and others in Sacramento who regularly called on legislators to share the peer-reviewed research and other updates. In 2019, our efforts culminated in California being the first state in the nation to pass a law of this scope protecting adolescent sleep health. No fundraising was ever done in support of this bill, and it was up against the most powerful lobbyists in the state. Indeed, because of the strength of the opposition, political experts in the state expected the bill to be defeated. But science won out. In my practice I've seen countless teens over the years whose sleep issues are hindering their health and well-being. With this book, parents now have a clear, accessible guide about the importance of sleep health for their adolescents and the far-reaching ramifications it can have. Excerpted from The Sleep-Deprived Teen: Why Our Teenagers Are So Tired, and How Parents and Schools Can Help Them Thrive (Healthy Sleep Habits, Sleep Patterns,Teenage Sleep) by Lisa L. Lewis All rights reserved by the original copyright owners. Excerpts are provided for display purposes only and may not be reproduced, reprinted or distributed without the written permission of the publisher.
