Experts have occasionally stated that middle to high school children is biologically programmed to remain awake later than younger children. For them, waking up earlier for school makes them chronically sleep deficient. The same researchers have conducted correlational studies showing that prolonging school start times can help these children in many of their lives. The American Academy of Pediatrics and the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) have previously claimed that lack of enough sleep among adolescents is a serious public health concern. These children need to begin school after 8.30 a.m. to allow them to get enough sleep (Durrani). However, the majority of American schools still commence school too early before this recommended time. This paper supports that American schools should start at later times so students get enough sleep and improve their quality of life, academic performance, and health.
Preliminary studies have shown that a significant number of American schools start too early and recommend that they should start at later times to give learners a chance to get enough sleep. According to the School Health Policies and Practices study conducted in 2014, more than 80% of middle schools and at least 90% of high schools in America start before 8.30 in the morning (CDC). An earlier study that analyzed the US Department of Education in the 2011 to 2012 academic year found that 42 states had 75 – 100% of public schools start earlier than 8.30 a.m. (CDC). In addition, this study established that the number of institutions that start after 8.30 a.m. differed significantly from state to state. For instance, none of the schools in Wyoming, Mississippi, and Hawaii after 8.30 a.m. 76% of Alaska schools and 78% of North Dakota schools started at 8.30 a.m. These studies have all in their recommendations suggested that schools should improve start times to support the well-being of the learners.
The American Academy of Sleep Medicine has recommended that adolescents between 13 – 18 years need regular sleep of at least 8 – 10 hours daily to improve their general health (CDC). This is because teenagers who do not get sufficient sleep are susceptible to life challenges like poor performance in academics, involving in unhealthy risk behaviors like smoking tobacco, drinking alcohol, and illicit drugs, risk of depressive disorders, getting overweight, or failing to participate in daily physical activity. Particularly, children in puberty get sleepy at night and require sleep later in the morning because of changes in their biological systems. Bad sleeping behaviors, including electronics in the bedroom and irregular sleeping hours, usually accompany these shifts in their biological rhythms. During school days, schools start too early, compelling the children to wake up when they have not received enough sleep. The combination of early school start times and late bedtimes restricts most teenagers from getting enough time to sleep.
Starting schools later boosts adolescents’ physical and mental health. Among teenagers, fluctuations in their bodies’ sleep drive and prolonged production of melatonin (the sleep hormone) complicate the situation for teenagers to sleep early. Shelby Harris, a psychologist instructor at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine, stated that teens would start getting more sleep if schools started later since most of them would get more than 8 hours of sleep at night (Durrani). Harris says this results in improved mental and physical health, including less caffeine consumption and reduced rates of anxiety and depression. Moreover, the University of Minnesota’s Center for Applied Research and Educational Improvement study found that children who sleep at least 8 hours every night are less likely to experience high levels of caffeine consumption and depression and generally have good health (Wahlstrom et al. 5).
American schools should start later to improve children’s academic performance. When schools begin later, the learners’ graduation rates, attendance, and mood significantly improve (Durrani). For example, one National Sleep Foundation study reported that schools should start later since graduation rates and school attendance are considerably higher in institutions that start times after 8.30 a.m. Another study in middle schools in North Carolina’s Wake County found that beginning classes an hour later increases student performance by at least 1.5 points in English and 2 points in Mathematics, with lower-performing learners recording even higher improvements (Durrani). A similar study at the national level indicated that 8th graders would improve up to 8 points in Mathematics if schools were to start an hour later, with experts equating it to a complete grade-level improvement. Additionally, most students sleep late because of the demands of extracurricular activities and coursework; hence, giving them more minutes in the morning makes them wake up in a better mood and experience a more productive day (Durrani).
As shown above, starting school later has many benefits, including helping students improve their class performance, avoid physical and mental health complications, and maintain overall well-being. Insufficient sleep is commonplace among school-going ages, especially high schoolers. Studies show that the situation comes with multiple health threats, such as poor academic performance, alcohol and drug abuse, and lifestyle complications, such as being overweight. With these challenges, everyone from parents, healthcare professionals, and school management can play a role in addressing this important public health issue. Parents should model and encourage behaviors aligned with good sleep, health officials should create awareness of the need for sufficient sleep in children, and school leaders should learn and implement programs that favorably connect bedtime and school start times.
Works Cited
CDC. “Schools Start Too Early.” 2022, www.cdc.gov/sleep/features/schools-start-too-early.html#print
Durrani, Anayat. “4 Benefits of Later School Start Times.” U.S. News. 2022, www.usnews.com/education/k12/articles/benefits-of-later-school-start-times
Wahlstrom, Kyla, et al. “Examining the impact of later high school start times on the health and academic performance of high school students: A multi-site study.” (2014). conservancy.umn.edu/bitstream/handle/11299/162769/Impact%20of%20Later%20Start%20Time%20Final%20Report.pdf?sequence=1&isAllowed=y
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