Because they are sleep deprived, they are sleepy all day and cannot do their best. Schools that have set later bell times find that students do not go to bed later, but get one hour more of sleep per school night, which means five hours more per week. Enrollment and attendance improves and students are more likely to be on time when school starts. Parents and teachers report that teens are more alert in the morning and in better moods they are less likely to feel
Almost 40% of high schools start class before 8:00AM which can lead to sleep deprivation in teens. A normal middle or high school student is lucky to get 6-7 hours of sleep when they should be getting 8-10 hours each night. About 30% of students report falling asleep in class at least once a week according to time.com (page 1). For a long time lots of parents have tried to get a later start to the school day for teenagers, but so far most of them have not been successful. It is obvious that later start times would correct a lot of problems and help people pay more attention in
Ever since anyone can remember, school has started at around 7:30 am or earlier, and around 80% of schools in America start before 8:00 (Education Degree). Recently many studies have shown that school starting before 8:30 am is actually negatively affecting students. During your teenage years your body is making a lot of changes which causes your melatonin to change and that will cause your body to want to stay up later. When you mix late nights with early school times, students will not get the full 9 hours of sleep and many students end up deprived of the sleep they desperately need. This is causing grades to go down, depression, inactivity in daily life, and it’s even causing students to start drinking, smoking, or doing harmful drugs.
It helps students stay out of trouble. And it helps students ability to learn. One reason school times should start later is because it will help students catch up on sleep. “Sleep deprivation has become virtually epidemic among American teenagers. Research suggests that adolescents require about 8.5 to 9 hours of sleep, but according to the National Sleep Foundation, only 14% achieve this goal.” said Julie Peorgers from The Brown University Child and Adolescent Behavior Letter.
School Start Times: Waking Up to the Truth Imagine staying up until the wee hours of the morning to finish the homework that had been accumulated during the day, only to have to get up a few hours later to catch the school bus, knowing that succeeding in class the next day would be short of a miracle. For many students, this scenario is not only feared but a reality they must face. The American Academy of Pediatrics states, “About 90% of high-school-aged adolescents get insufficient sleep on school nights…”(“Early Start Times and Depression”). Because of the lack of sleep students face, it poses serious problems for them the next day inside and outside of the classroom. Countless schools across America start earlier than the recommended
Starting school later can actually improve your learning, health and even your attitude and all of that can be changed by just starting school at 8:30AM. Kids don't start taking in information until 8:30AM because that is when the brain starts to really work. According to National sleep foundation ¨ teenagers are naturally inclined to stay up later and get up later in the morning.¨ ¨Starting school at 8:30 improves a student's chance of success,¨ according to the (National sleep foundation). Not only do teens want to sleep more, but sleeping more actually improves their health. If schools were too just delay school by 30 minutes it would improve the student's health and grades.
Most people believe that school start times don’t affect teenagers or any kids, but come to find out it affects teenagers the most. Over the years there have been many debates about school starting later and if it really helps or not. Teenagers should get at least 8.5 to 10 hours of sleep each night, but the common teenager gets 5 to 7 hours each night. School should start at 8:30 am or later, to improve: homework and test performance, teen car accidents, drug usage in teens. Teens have been known for being lazy when it comes to homework and test because they claim they are “tired”or they say “I’ve had a long day”.
When i was starting middle school i had to wake up an hour earlier which made me feel more tired causing me to want to sleep during class. Ring ring my alarm was going off at 7:00 to get ready for school it felt like i had just gone to bed. I wake up and is half asleep just barely getting through the day. I would be going to class tired and not able to focus missing some of the lesson that was being taught. If i could wake up later then i would be more focused during class and could get better grades.
Most people will say that high school will be the best four years of a persons’ life, or that a person will miss high school once they are out in the real world. High school students would probably beg to differ considering the hours upon hours they spend doing homework or studying. Teens would also all agree that waking up in the early morning to get ready for school, or to not miss the bus is a dreaded part of their daily routines. Health Hours says “According to most sleep experts, most adolescents need about 9 hours of sleep per night. Today nearly 2/3 gets under 8 and 2/5 get under 6 hours of sleep per night.” This quote supports the fact that teenagers do not get the sleep that they need.
This means that going to bed early does not necessarily mean that it gives a better sleep. This is why schools should start later as it helps students greatly and allows for better performance from both the awake students and the staff. Many first hour classes are not as focused or aware as other hours and that causes that class to suffer more than others. This is why I believe schools should start