Why Do Schools Start Later

As a High school and even middle school student, I had always found that having classes as early as 7:30a.m. really affected my mood, and levels of sleepiness, and work ethic. In the late 50′s and all throughout the 60′s, it was common for most schools to start between 8:30-9:00, and even then, students had trouble staying awake. By 2000, many high schools were starting at 7:30 or earlier, hindering the academic abilities of many students because of the extremely early start times. Some school districts have taken action by having schools start later, however traditions; even those that are bad, are difficult to change, leading to many other school districts refusing to have high schools start later in the morning and end later in the afternoon.
These early start times that many feel are appropriate for students have lead to research proving that because of these early start times many students end up struggling with depression, and lack of sleep, which lead to negative health affects, poorer academic results and poorer attendance.
The Center for Disease Control also known as the CDC, recommends schools to adjust to later start times so kids would have a better chance at getting the recommended 8.5 to 10 hours of nightly rest.
Where this problem is very prevalent; the United States has over 40 states, which ammasses to at least 75 percent of public schools in the U.S., actually start earlier than 8:30 a.m., according to the CDC. Although, earlier start times tend to influence the sleep schedules because of the huge impact schools have on the sleep schedules of students. It still does not prevent any other activities or responsibilities that students might be involved in outside of school that also can affect their sleeping schedules. However, according to the Sleep Foundation, adolescents tend to stay up later and wake up later so by having earlier school times, “60% of children under the age of 18 end up complaining about being tired during the day, according to their parents, and 15% said they fell asleep at school during the year”(National Sleep foundation). In addition to the poll conducted by The National Sleep Foundation, a University of Minnesota demonstrated the positive impact of having schools start later, by changing the start times of seven high schools from 7:15 am to 8:40 am. According to a study at the University of Minnesota, “students benefited by obtaining five or more extra hours of sleep per week. It also found improvement in attendance and enrollment rates, increased daytime
alertness, and decreased student-reported depression”(National Sleep Foundation, U of M). It’s important to realize how much sleep can affect a student’s life.
Humans are naturally programmed to have to rely on sleep for energy throughout the day. However, as school times become earlier and earlier, it is evident that students turn to other sources of energy such as caffeine and energy drink to keep them awake throughout the day. Allowing students to replace their sleep with other forms of energy in the long run, can lead to obesity or depression and also challenges students to keep a balanced diet which is essential to a healthy lifestyle. Because of this, early high school start times have been labeled the reason for poorer academic performances as well as negative health effects. According to Julie Boergers, Ph.D., a Psychology and sleep expert, “It is well-known that sleep deprivation is common among teens, with potentially serious impacts on mental and physical health, safety and learning. ‘Early high school start times contribute to this problem’”(Boergers). She also mentions that if schools attempt to change the times to match students natural sleep patterns which is staying up late and waking up later in the day, “‘we will have students who are more alert, happier, better prepared to learn, and [who] aren’t dependent on caffeine and energy drinks just to stay awake in class’”(Boergers) Pederson highlights through these quotes, that many students depending on quick and easy unhealthy sources of energy to stay awake in class negatively affects the
students performances and reactions to school; because having a positive mindset and memories of school will allow for better attendance rates and better academic achievements. As a student especially in today’s society, it is getting harder and harder to make time for something as important as sleep. Schools refusing to accept that teens have different natural sleep patterns than the other age groups baffles many medical experts, who know that sleep is essential to academic success. Without sleep many students struggle with depression and sleepiness which again dramatically hinders their academic potential, attendance, and health. All in all, the evidence is strikingly apparent that schools early start times negatively affects students. So having schools start later in the day isn’t just a suggestion or an idea; it’s an absolute requirement.