Essay On Later School Start Times

742 Words2 Pages

Should students sleep in or leave school early? In 42 states, the average school start time is 8:03 am, which is almost 30 minutes earlier than the recommended start time by the CDC. South Dakota happens to be at 8:15, which is still too early. In Finland, the average school starts between 9 and 9:30 am. Finland is also considered the happiest country in the world. There seems to be a correlation between happiness and sleep. However, some people believe that later start times aren’t truly beneficial. In contrast, American middle schools and high schools must start later for students’ health and to get better grades. Delayed school start times have a large, positive impact on sleep and health. Sleeping later allows the body to have more time to recover from the mentally straining day. …show more content…

Pediatrician Judith Owens told the American Academy of Pediatricians in 2014 that "Adolescents who get enough sleep have a reduced risk of being overweight or suffering depression.”. Clinical psychologist John Cline did a study that found in the 1990’s, a school district in Kentucky delayed their start times by an hour. The school reported a decrease in teen crashes, while the rest of the state reported a higher number. Delayed start times keep teens safer on the road and improve sleep, which improves both mental and physical health. This shows that improved sleep improves both mental and physical health. Later school start times have positive effects on GPAs, behaviors, and absences. When students come to school more energized and ready, they’re going to perform

Open Document