Daniela Santini

Ms. Skoy
English 1010
October 20, 2015

Should Schools Start Later For A Better Education

Everybody knows that to be engaged and productive , a large factor is the
amount of sleep youve gotten the night before. Students in High School and Middle
School only get about on average, 5 to 6 hours of sleep. (Richmond.) With the early
start of most schools, and the late hours students get to sleep, performance will only be
negatively impacted. The major problem is, students are waking up sleep deprived and
schools expect to have their full attention for the school day participating, taking notes ,
and doing assignments; all in an 8 hour learning day, 5 times a week. As many
students wonder, why dont we start later? Statistically speaking, it is a great idea to
change the school system to start later in the day. However, it is stopping us because
school has been starting early since the beginning of organized education . Our parents
and their parents woke up when it was pitch black and miserably dragged themselves to
school; But lets face it. The times are changing, and we dont need to be holding onto
things that arent beneficial, just for the sake of tradition.
Recent studies have shown that when you hit puberty, your best sleep hours are
between 11:00 pm to 8:00 am. However, 10% of high school students in the U.S. start
before 7:30 am, 42% start before 8:00 am, and only 14% start at 8:30 am or later

(McKibben). A fair compromise can be taken from the facts listed earlier in this
paragraph, even starting school one hour later could improve the quality of sleep youth
are getting. This is a real concern considering about 20 -30% of high school students
today are falling asleep in class, because they arent getting enough before school.
That percentage should be alarming to teachers , administrators, and parents. And it is
a statistic that could be lowered, with a small, smart change.
Focusing on falling asleep in class, is only looking at the short term effects of the
lack of sleep students are getting on a nightly basis . On a long term basis, sleep
deprivation can have large effects on academics and other important aspects of life .
Congresswoman Zoe Lofgren said, "We must encourage schools to push back their
start times to at least 8:30 a.m. a schedule more in tune with adolescents' biological
sleep and wake patterns and more closely resembling the adult work day ." (sleep
foundation.) Not getting the appropriate amount of sleep could lead to a habit of
unhealthy sleep schedules. The brain and body cant function properly when it is tired ,
and unfocused.
Some people against a change in start times try to argue that parents should
make sure their children go to sleep earlier , instead of changing the time. However, as
stated before, the ideal sleep time would require a later start. Also parents shouldnt
have to fight with their children, because the education system sticks with the norm ,
instead of trying to fix the problem .

Sleep deprivation does not just affect academics but it also has a negative affect
mentally. An increased likelihood of experiencing depressing moods , increased obesity
rates, and a risk of metabolic and nutritional deficits are all very possible due to a lack of
sleep. There are other negative impacts, that have been found by researchers like lower
grades, tardiness, and absences. Giving youth the amount of sleep they need will not
only make scores improve, but more emotionally stable students walking through ., the
hallways.
If statistics arent enough to sway the minds of educators, possibly the voice of
the people that are directly affected could change something . Talk to any school
student, about how early school starts and majority of their opinions would sway
towards a later start; Because students, know first hand how hard it is to take a test
when you stayed up late studying, and woke up so early that your brain felt like it gave
up. Nearly every student has faced a day that they were unfocused and barely awake
through their classes. The voice of these youth, can be a push towards the
improvement of our local school system . An improvement that can develop young minds
in a much better way.

Bibliography:
Richmond, Emily. "Why School Should Start Later in the Morning." The Atlantic.
Atlantic Media Company, 17 Aug. 2015. Web. 22 Oct. 2015.
"What's the Big Deal?" Start School Later. N.p., n.d. Web. 2 Nov. 2015.

"Backgrounder: Later School Start Times." Later School Start Times: Benefits & Cons.
N.p., n.d. Web. 2 Nov. 2015.
"States Haven't Embraced Later School Start Times For Teens." NPR. NPR, n.d.
Web. 10 Nov. 2015.
Snider, Terra Ziporyn. "Let Kids Sleep Later." CNN. Cable News Network, 29 Dec.
2014. Web. 3 Nov. 2015.
Infoplease. Infoplease, n.d. Web. 10 Nov. 2015.