Could your teenager soon be able to hit the snooze button during the week?

They could if the governor signs the sleep bill sitting on his desk right now.

The bill would push back the start time for schools across California.

Experts say if the bill is signed, California would become the first place to adopt a late start.

On Wednesday, KRON4 spoke to a Stanford University professor who is a leading force behind the bill.

Dr. Rafael Pelayo is a clinical professor at Stanford University School of Medicine.

“They should wake up feeling refreshed,” Dr. Pelayo said. “We want them to get about 9 hours of sleep on a regular basis.”

But sleep expert Dr. Pelayo says only about 25 percent of students are getting this much sleep a night, which is why he supports the bill that just passed through the assembly that would push the start of class to 8:30 a.m.

“I think it’s crucial for kids to get more sleep,” Dr. Pelayo said. “We know when kids don’t get enough sleep. It affects their mood. It affects their ability to learn.”

But not everyone is on board with the bill.

Critics say it will mess with bus times, parents schedules, and after-school activities.

“It lets every teenager in the State of California know that we value their health over other inconveniences that people may have,” Dr. Pelayo said.

For decades, some doctors, educators, and politicians have been pushing for school to start later, arguing that if school begins at 8:30 a.m., student attendance, grades, and graduation rates could improve.

“The data is that if we can change the school start times, kids perform better in school, mental health improves, depression levels decrease, and there’s less sports injuries,” Dr. Pelayo said. “Overall, people are going to be happier about it.”

The governor has until the end of the month to sign the bill.

If it passes, schools have until 2021 to transition to the new start time.

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