Personal Injury attorney Jeffrey T. Jones, founder of the Law Offices of Jeffrey T. Jones, and best-selling author of “Protect and Defend” presents compelling evidence supporting later school day starting times can protect children from injury, anxiety, and obesity.

Charleston, WV, September 9, 2014: Personal Injury attorney Jeffrey T. Jones, founder of the Law Offices of Jeffrey T. Jones, and best-selling author of “Protect and Defend” has posted a new article on his website entitled “Early School Start Times are Affecting Your Child’s Physical and Mental Well-Being.”  Sleep deprivation is a form of torture considered “inhumane” by the U.S. However, considering the early start to the school day most children are subject to, the torturous effects of sleep deprivation are affecting the health and wellbeing of children throughout the U.S.

Mr. Jones refers to an article recently published in The Charleston (WV) Gazette quoting a report from the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) finding that “teens who don’t get the appropriate amount of sleep are at a higher risk of obesity, diabetes, depression and anxiety.”  He continues saying, “The report also shows that a lack of sleep contributes to an increased risk of car accidents and a decline in academic performance. This study follows on the heels of a study in Virginia that showed that the weekday crash rate for 16-18 year olds was about 41% higher when classes began at 7:20-7:25 as opposed to a school district where classes started at 8:40-8:45.”

If that’s not bad enough, Mr. Jones states that a local high school has classes that begin before 7:00 a.m.  He turns to two other studies, saying, “The American Academy of Sleep Medicine and The Journal of Clinical Sleep Medicine, indicate that later school start times make a dramatic difference in teen alertness and cognitive performance.” Yet, another study, says Jones, “published in Education Next in May 2012, also shows that less sleep is associated with a decrease in cognitive performance. The author performed a study of middle schools in Wake County, NC, which showed that starting school an hour later at 8:30 a.m., instead of 7:30 a.m., increased the standardized test scores in Math and Reading by 2-3 percentile points.”

The case for a later start time for the school day is clearly supported as Jones reports, “The AAP study looked at the optimal sleep needed by teens and recommended that students get 8.5 to 9.5 hours of sleep per night. However, with academic demands, homework, video games and computers, jobs and extracurricular activities, it is next to impossible for kids to get the recommended hours. Napping, sleeping in on weekends and drinking caffeine may help, but they are only temporary fixes. They do not help to restore optimal alertness and are not a substitute for regular, sufficient sleep.”

Jones proposes a later start to the school day. He says, “By starting school so early, we are exposing (our children) to an increased risk of injury in car accidents and depriving them of being their best in the classroom.”

The entire article can be read at http://www.jeffreytjones.com/early-school-start-times-are-affecting-your-childs-physical-and-mental-well-being/.

About Jeffrey T. Jones

Jeffrey T. Jones has more than 25 years of experience and served as the former President of the West Virginia Association for Justice and is a Personal Injury, Wrongful Death and IRS Tax Attorney in Charleston, West Virginia. He has also been recognized as one of the Top 100 Trial Lawyers in West Virginia. He has appeared in USA TODAY as an Emerging Business Leader to Watch and has been named one of the top 10 lawyers in West Virginia for client satisfaction by the American Institute of Personal Injury Attorneys. He represents persons injured or killed in accidents and has written the West Virginia Automobile Accident Injury Guide and a Special Report dealing with car accidents, personal injury and insurance companies.

About the Law Offices of Jeffrey T. Jones

For quality, dependable legal representation, clients throughout West Virginia rely on the Law Offices of Jeffrey T. Jones, PLLC in Charleston, West Virginia. Our office serves clients from Charleston to Huntington, from Beckley to Princeton and as far as Clarksburg. We’re strong advocates for those who have been injured by negligence of any kind. Whether you have been injured by a negligent driver or a drunk driver, a defective product, or a doctor or hospital, we can help you recover the financial compensation you are entitled to receive.