High School Start Times

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Sleep is vital to a human’s well-being, it is just as important as the air they breathe, the water they drink and the food they eat. It can even help to manage the stress of being a teenager. Middle schoolers and high schoolers especially have very unnatural sleeping schedules because of the early start times and school and the amount of homework they are given (“Teens and Sleep”). Even though some teachers believe it will have no academic impact, high schools should start at a later time because scientists have proven it can lead to more participation, better grades and improved mental and physical health. With the stress and overwhelming priorities and obligations of being a teenager, sleep is vital to their well being. With managing their …show more content…

Mary Carskadon, professor of both psychiatry and human behavior at Brown University, said that she has heard both sides of this debate and is understanding towards both (Richmond). In most townships the school start times are determined by the means of transportation, but some townships just lack the funds to change that start times (Richmond). Another reason would be that parents worry with later high school start times, that their older kids won’t be able to help their younger ones off the bus, or be home in time to help with homework. But, the biggest concern from parents would be the timing of after school sports and activities ("Many Parents Aren't Sold on Later School Start Times for Teens"). With all of these concerns, nothing can top the fact that kids won’t learn as well if they are half asleep in class. With these early start times for school, children are being held back from getting a sufficient amount of sleep each night. Penn State researchers have come to the conclusion that if school started later children would have the ability to get more sleep (Miller). Within a national study that Penn State did, they found that high school start times of 8:30 would make it more likely for kids to get the amount of sleep that the AAP recommends. The AAP or the American Academy of Pediatrics urged school districts to change the start times so that children can get the recommended 8-10 hours per night

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