With Australian students the fifth most sleep- deprived in the world, an International Business Times report examines the impact of lack of sleep on academics.

Norman Hart, president of the Australian Primary Principals Association, said that late nights caused Aussie students to lack of sleep and even disruptive school behaviour. In the US, the American Academy of Pediatrics blames the very early start times of middle and high schools to sleep deprivation that affects the kids’ health, safety and academic success.

For school year 2011-12, less than 20 percent of middle and high schools started at the recommended time of 8:30 am, based on data published by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention after a review of almost 40,000 schools.

View the full story at www.ibtimes.com.au