Effects Of High School Start Later Essay

Middle and high schools around the nation are welcoming students in the morning at the average of 8:07 am, nearly 30 minutes earlier than recommended by health officials. Studies show that 20% of all students fall asleep during class on a regular basis, and a recent National Sleep Foundation study shows that only 15% of teens get the amount of sleep their brain needs. The reasons for such early start times include convenience for working parents, and daylight for extracurricular activities. Teenage brains develop a biological body clock, wiring them to wake up later in the morning. This gives an unfair disadvantage to the teen students in their early morning classes, when the brain is not fully functioning. A combination of extracurricular activities, homework, and the wiring of a teenager’s brain are also components to why teens tend to fall asleep later at night. Lack of sleep in teenagers greatly affect
their ability to learn and focus. By giving students options of school start times, individuals can get the amount of sleep they need, improving their learning abilities.

The changes toward adolescence are well known facts among teens and adults. When teenagers develop, their brain patterns are changed, making them need to sleep later. The fully grown brain does not begin fully functioning until 10:00 am, meaning that students are physically unable to reach their full potential in morning classes. People cannot absorb information in the morning when they are busy struggling to stay awake. Teens all around the world get significantly less sleep than their brain needs, making them less focused and irritable. Also, schools with earlier start times tend to have more car accidents in the morning, due to students being too drowsy to think clearly. Teens need sleep in order to stay healthy, and provide their brain with the energy needed.

Getting the amount of sleep needed has an astounding effect on ability and attitude.
Studies done in Nauset Regional High School as well as middles schools in the city of Worcester show that when the school start time was delayed, dramatic shifts appeared in the natures of the students. Nauset High discovered a 53 percent drop in the number of failing grades, and the number of days students were suspended dropped from 116 to 19. The amount of tardies at these schools became four times fewer, and the student’s GPAs rose. The brains of teenagers getting enough sleep function better, making them more alert and aware. For example, sleep deprivation is the cause of 20% of all car crashes as stated by car accident researchers. Additionally, schools with early start times simultaneously have more car accidents in the morning. As shown by the National Sleep Foundation, loss of sleep leads greatly damages the brain, causing things such as weight gain, anxiety, depression, and irritableness. Giving students more time to sleep is beneficial for their safety and
health.

Several parents appreciate the school start times that a correspond with their work schedule, and convenience to get their child to school without having to worry about them staying home alone for hours. Also, school ending early is convenient for sports and other activities that prefer practicing in daylight. In other words, simply delaying the start time of schools may not be ideal for everyone. Several solutions could compromise, that both aid students who need sleep as well as students who wish to leave school early in the afternoon. Creating staggered start times, perhaps offering a zero period, would let students assess what start time appropriate for them as an individual. This way, students can decide what start time would be most convenient for them, depending on sleep, transportation, and after school activities. Any shift in the schedule of a school day that allows students the sleep they need will be greatly beneficial to their well- being and ability to learn.