"With teenagers' busy schedules today, the first activity to give way is usually sleep" (Kaufman). The sleep deficit of teenagers obstructs their high school achievement. To accommodate for teen's sleep necessity,, high schools should start later in the morning than they do presently. This action would better satisfy the sleep needs of teenagers, improve their academic performance, be beneficial for families of elementary school students, and increase safety.
Delaying high school schedule, even if only by an hour or just a half hour, would be beneficial to the sleep needs of teenagers. "Studies have show that after puberty, teenagers require more sleep (about nine and half-hours) but get less sleep (about seven and half-hours)" (Silver). After puberty, teens' shift into a delayed phase. Circadian rhythms (sleep patterns) all start and end later in the day than when they had prior puberty (Silver). Due to a teenager's change in sleep patterns, it would be better for them to begin school later than they do now.
Delaying start time for high schools would improve the academic performance of students. Students would be more in tune with what is going on in class and would be awake enough later in the day. With increased awareness during class, academic performance is bound to improve. Schools so far who have adjusted