Allowing high school students to sleep in — at least a bit — helps them achieve more in the classroom.

That’s the finding of a three-year study by the University of Minnesota, funded by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The study, which involved more than 9,000 students at eight high schools in Minnesota, Colorado and Wyoming, found that 66 percent of students who had an 8:55 a.m. start got eight or more hours of sleep — and accomplished more as a result.

High schools that switch to a later start time see an improvement in student grades, attendance and overall health, the study found. Students drank less caffeine and, at least in one school, the number of car accidents involving teenage drivers dropped.

Minneapolis Star Tribune, March 13