Why School Should Start Later Essay

Staying up until 1am to finish math homework and studying for that huge history test next class is pretty routine for some teens. Juggling school, sports, a social life, and other extracurriculars is tough, and teens are already in a critical period in their life. It is the time period in which teens grow and learn the most, and sets them up for a bright future. Staying healthy both mentally and physically is imperative, and sleep is probably the most important. Schools starting as early as 7am limits a teen’s potential. If schools were to start later, the benefits would be endless. Schools starting later improves both physical and mental health of students, keeps the individual and those around them safer, and improves students performance in school and sports.

Do you ever wake up and feel like you haven’t gotten enough sleep? The reason is because in reality you probably haven’t. Studies show that schools should not start any earlier that 8:30 in the morning due to teens suffering from sleep deprivation. There are many negative effects this condition can have on a teens body including a direct effect on one’s physical and mental health, public safety and excelling in the future. In the Ted Talk video, " Why school should start later for teens" by, Wendy Troxel.  Ms. Troxel explained why school should start later for teens.. Students are very drowsy in the morning and are usually rushing to get to school on time which limits breakfasts times and healthy food options. Schools should start no earlier than 8:30 a.m.  for several reasons  but sleep deprivation is  the most important. Sleep deprivation can cause a direct effect to a child’s general health and behavior, public safety and potentially future success.

Research has shown that teenagers experience a change in the internal sleep clock so that waking up early and going to sleep early are difficult. Some people believe that high school classes should begin later in the day to better accommodate students’ natural sleep clocks. Waking up early can be a real struggle for teenagers. Most teens naturally sleep in until ten thirty or eleven on weekends. I do believe high school classes should start later because teens could sleep more naturally, it would give teenagers more time to do things in the mornings, and more sleep equals better

Students hate getting up so early for school. Right? Teenagers on average need at least seven to eight hours of sleep each night. A two thousand twelve study shows that students who start school an hour later than usual saw their math scores on standardized tests increase an average of 2.2 percent. When students are able to get the sleep they need, they are able to get up and make it to school on time. Also when students get the sleep needed, they not only are able to make it to school on time but it gives them the sleep they need to be able to function which improves academically. High School start times should start later because it allows more sleep for teenagers, increases attendance and improves academically.

Sleep is very important and everyone needs it in order to start the day. CDC reports that an eight thirty a.m. start time would let teenagers to get the recommended eight point five to nine point five hours of sleep a night. This is important because students probably go to sleep around ten o’clock, which means they only get eight hours of sleep. Teens are at a very important stage of their growth and development. Because of this they need more sleep than adults. This means that kids need more sleep if they want to grow and develop. In more than forty states, at least seventy five percent of public schools start earlier than 8:30 a.m., according to the CDC’s report. This is significant because it means that 25 percent do start after 8:30, but also 75 percent do not start after 8:30 which is not very good.Sleep experts have found a shift in sleep cycles beginning in adolescence that

Teenagers mood can change by not getting enough sleep and causes anxiety, depression, stress, poor grades. “The moodiness, the constant battles, the sleeping all day, the reckless, impulsive and careless behavior”(Garey pg.1). The less sleep teenagers get can affect their academic work. Students is unable to focus and what is being taught in first period and have their mind drift off and longs for sleep. Less sleep can make it hard to get along with family, friends, and teachers and hurts your grade.

Finally, later start times in schools will not conflict with teen’s natural sleep schedule. M. Safwan Badr from “USA Today” says,“The typical teen body wants to sleep from about 12 a.m. or 1 a.m. until 8 a.m. or 9 a.m. They're waking up at a time when their brain doesn't want them to be awake" (2). Teens are often rushed out the door sometimes with no breakfast before their brain and body has stopped telling students that it is time to sleep. Therefore, it hard for students to concentrate at school. It would even be easier for parents to get their student to school.There would not be such a rush out the

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, “ It becomes physically harder to go to sleep early. Yet many schools start as early as 7 a.m. As a result, many teens are exhausted all the time.” “Studies show that tired teens teens have an increased risk of depression, anxiety, obesity, and illness,” According to Jilly Dos. This shows that schools should start later because then teens won’t be as exhausted.

One reason why schools should start later is that teenage students get tired faster than some people in other age groups. One example of this is that the

With only 15% of schools starting after 8:30, students are forced to wake up early in the morning. Some teens must wake up at 5:00 or 6:00 a.m. to get to school on time. Changes to the school schedule can cause problems but also have advantages. Pushing back the start time for schools can show improvement in students health and daily lives.

Most schools today start earlier than they used to. This is not a good thing because it has many negative effects on the students and the teachers. Students are having to wake up at times that are unhealthy for them. They are not getting enough sleep because their schools are making them wake up early, and the ones that are getting enough sleep are getting to school late. Schools should do what’s best for the students and that is to start school at a later time in the morning.

For starters, sleep loss may result in irritability, impatience, inability to concentrate, and moodiness. (Source H). Have you ever woken up in the morning and been extremely grumpy? This is most likely caused by the lack of sleep you are getting. Not sleeping long enough causes the body to be tired in the mornings and that causes us to be in a grumpy mood. Furthermore, new evidence shows that sleep is essential to helping maintain mood, memory, and cognitive performance. (Source A) With scientific evidence proving that sleep will help maintain mood, this is a very good reason for schools to start later in the morning. The more sleep students get, the better their moods will be in the mornings. Thus, sleep deprivation could be one of the causes for mood swings in

When teens are drowsy behind the wheel there putting their live lives as well as other in danger. Drowsy driving is extremely dangerous and puts humane lives in danger. According to the N.H.T.S, “teens and young adults are involved in more than half of all drowsy driving crashes annually. Sleepy teens cause extreme danger to them self and others and when the problems can be solved with school starting later, this is a no brainer. According to A.A.P the average school day doesn't stop at three pm, many kids are engaged in after school activities, homework and jobs. From experience, should should start later because myself and others have some type of practice until late at night and still have to do homework, chores and other daily

In some schools today students are probably falling asleep or have bad attendance because they did not get enough sleep last night to get to school on time. There are a lot of students right now who are not paying attention in class or some are late to school, because they did not get enough sleep. There are a lot of reasons why school should start at a later time. School should start at a later time because it could help with a student physical and mental health, it could help improve grades and attendance, and it could help students from falling asleep in class.

To begin, school starting as early as it is, teens don’t get enough sleep. Not getting enough sleep is affecting the body negatively. Teens usually get six to seven hours of sleep but Dr. Cora Breuner says, “ We truly believe that our teenagers are getting six to seven hours of sleep a night, and they need eight to 10 (Shute).” Sleep deficit is what most teenagers face. Teens try to redress this by consuming caffeine. Caffeinating to get through the day or trying to sleep more on weekends cannot fix this problem (Shute). In fact it makes it worse.