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
Many people argue that starting schools later will let students get more sleep and align with the students sleep cycles. But they do not factor in that students will just stay up later at night because they know that they do not have to get up as early in the morning. This will just leave students with less sleep than before. Also students will be up later finishing homework and socializing on their phones with friends. Although schools will now have been adjusted to fit with students sleep cycles, that does not mean that the students will actually
Sleep! That wonderful, blissful void between last night and this morning. Sleep is one of the most basic functions of life. Nearly all creatures must sleep in order to properly carry out tasks; teenagers are no exception. The typical teenager needs an average of nine to ten hours of sleep a night in order for their brains to be capable of working at full capacity. School starts so early that they infringe upon that basic necessity. In order for teens to receive an adequate amount of sleep, it is mandatory to enact later start times for high schools across the country.
Every fall teens wake up all groggy and tired because of school starting early. To stop that schools could start later. Why you say because young, growing teens need sleep. And it is proven what growing teens need at least 8 hours a day, they're not getting it. This is why schools should start later.
According to the National Sleep Foundation, biological sleep patterns change throughout the stages of adolescence. ¨Biological sleep patterns shift toward later times for both sleeping and waking during adolescence-meaning it is natural to not be able to fall asleep before 11:00pm.¨ (¨Teens and Sleep¨). Messing with these sleep cycles in the long run and lead to sleep disorders. Research done by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention suggests teenagers 13-18 years old should regularly sleep 8-10 hours each night for a healthy sleep. The teens who do not get a good amount of sleep are more likely to suffer from mental conditions, smoking, illicit drugs, and alcohol use. ¨Not getting enough sleep is common among high school students and is associated with several health risks including being overweight, drinking alcohol, smoking tobacco, and using drugs, as well as poor academic performance.¨ (¨Schools Start Too Early¨). On an NBC news story, Hilton Head Island High School moved its start time and benefits were noticeable. Students had higher test score averages and grades improved throughout the school.A study done in 2008 published in the journal of clinical sleep, found car accident rates fell by 16.5% when students were more aware on the road, not having to wake up before 7 am.
For some high school students, sleep is not considered a necessity – but rather, a luxury. Sports, extra-curricular activities, and Fine Arts programs play an important role in students’ lives and require a significant amount of commitment and dedication. Social life aside, some students have taken the additional endeavors of acquiring jobs, participating in volunteer activities, and taking extra Advanced Placement classes. With too many tasks to fulfill in a twenty-four hour day, high school students are forced to substitute for the most essential condition of all: sleep.
“BEEP, BEEP, BEEP!” The teenage student slams on the snooze button and struggles to get out of bed for the early school day. Teens on average need 9 ¼ hours of sleep (Backgrounder: Later School Start Times). Teens currently average fewer than 7 hours of sleep (Backgrounder: Later School Start Times). Hectic schedules, poor sleep habits, homework, and family obligations are the problem (Backgrounder: Later School Start Times). Schools are considering starting their school days later in the morning. For example, one Minneapolis school considered pushing back their start time from 7:15 to 8:30. Another Seattle school considers pushing back the school day start reported Jean Enersen. Would this benefit the students or harm the students? Is this for the better or for the worse? These are questions many superintendents and school board members are asking themselves. They all want to do what is best for their students, so the topic takes a lot of thinking, planning, and conversations. School starting later can be a very controversial issue.
Later School Start Times Everyone has always hated getting up super early to go to school. As children get older they move to different schools, from elementary to middle to high school, and the start times get earlier. In elementary school it was never a problem getting up but getting older, it always got harder to get up and the days were always longer. Schools start so early in the morning that it is hard to focus and students tend to miss more of their earlier classes and attend all of their later classes. Schools everywhere should start later because it would benefit the students and teachers.
Kids and teen everywhere are rushed, stressed, and not doing as well in school because they aren't getting the right amount of sleep. About 40% of american high schools start classes before 8:00 am and more than 20% of middle schools start at 7:45 am or earlier. School start times should be later because teens need sleep and it improves their overall academic grades.
Lack of sleep of teens is not caused by choice. Many teens do not choose to stay up late at night because they are out or having fun. The body has circadian rhythms. “These rhythms are generated internally and develop without any social or environmental cues. Adolescents experience a natural circadian phase delay and, therefore, tend to stay up later and sleep in later than in preadolescents” (Final Report Summary, 2001). The opening and closing schedules of schools are not based on these rhythms but are based on the business world and what is best for it. “School schedules should be adapted to the unique needs of different sub-populations of pupils. The administrator must not bear the sole responsibility for planning class schedules” (...
It’s seven thirty in the morning, the time that most American high schools begin class. Instead of being chipper and ready to learn, most teenagers, at this time of the morning, can barely remain awake. These puffy eyed pupils are by no means ready to learn. Sixty percent children under 18 reported being sleepy during the day, with another fifteen percent reporting that they had fallen asleep during the school day within the past year (National Sleep Foundation, Dozing). Though adolescents require a larger amount of sleep than younger children, they usually receive much less (Indiana University Center for Adolescent Studies). The amount of sleep a teenager receives affects him or her both physically and mentally. Sleep deprived teenagers are more likely to be irritable, be depressed, not perform up to their capabilities in school, and have a decreased ability to handle complex tasks (National Parent Information Network). Though teenage sleep deprivation is a big problem, some simple solutions such as rescheduling the school day to fit teenagers’ biological needs, setting consistent sleep schedules, and teaching children the importance of proper sleep habits can easily remedy this problem.
With such early start times, teens often come to school with much less sleep than what is recommended. Although teenagers should be getting 8 to 10 hours of sleep a night, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have found that: “...almost 70% of high-school students report sleeping 7 hours or less on a regular basis” (Macmillan). Sleep loss has many side effects such as lower school performance, depressive symptoms, cardiovascular problems, obesity, and athletic
Did you know that more than eighty-seven percent of high school students in the United States get far less than the recommended eight to ten hours of sleep? It is important for students all across the nation to perform their best. Individuals can’t succeed to the best of their ability, without the recommended hours of sleep their brain needs. Schools across the country are debating whether it would be more favorable to start their school earlier or later. In this essay, it talks about the importance of student sleep patterns and the impact of student academic performance.
Introduction Sleep studies have been conducted since as early as 1913. However, the impact of school start times on student academics is often overlooked by most schools. In reality, start times can significantly affect academic performance by disrupting adolescents' normal sleep cycle, leading to a lack of sleep that impairs learning, and hindering academic performance. These theories have been tested through sleep studies, and most of them have been found to be true. Sleep Cycle Changes When children transition from primary school to middle or high school, it can significantly affect their learning due to changes in their sleep cycle.
According to the National Sleep Foundation, teenagers need 8-10 hours of sleep per night for ideal functioning, yet most students get far less due to early school start times. Lack of sleep affects our ability to concentrate, retain information, and problem-solve, interfering with their academic success. Studies have consistently shown a correlation between later school start times and improved academic performance, as students are better able to focus and engage in their studies. Moreover, addressing the issue of sleep deprivation may have great effects on students' mental health and overall well-being.
Fifty six percent of students report being tired throughout the school day, which can lead to missed information and confusion (Wysong). According to this statistic, over half the students in class are not going to achieve their maximum learning potential in school. In order to avoid this problem, a teenager's brain typically needs to sleep from 11:00 pm to 8:00 am (“High schools starting later to help sleepy teens”). However, most high schools require students to be in class as early as 7:15 or 7:30 am. As a result, many adolescents simply do not have the opportunity to get enough rest. Changing the traditional school time to start later in the day will benefit adolescent sleep cycles, promote learning, and prevent disease by regulating the body. Ideally,...