Why School Should Start Later

Students are negatively affected by the school day starting so early. High school classes should begin later and end later in the day to accommodate students’ natural sleep clocks. If the school board decided to start the day later, the students would be healthier and more attentive which will improve their academic performance. This will improve the quality of life for everyone involved in the student’s life.

One reason classes should start later is because students need to get enough sleep to have a healthy life. The California Academy of Science says, “Getting enough sleep may lead to a decreased risk of car accidents, less depression and obesity, the prevention of illnesses like colds and flus, and generally improved mental ability”(Should schools start later). Most students are not able to eat breakfast in the morning because they are rushing to get to school on time. Eating breakfast is very important to a teen because people who eat breakfast have a healthier diet overall (Neithercott). It is unhealthy for students to go to sleep late and then wake up early in the morning and go to school. By starting the school day later you

Student’s mood is greatly impacted by how much sleep they are getting. If teens are getting eight or nine hours of sleep compared to only five or six, their moods will be better. Studies show that the more sleep students are getting, the higher their test scores will be. Test scores are higher because the students’ memory consolidation is increased when you are receiving a good amount of sleep. Some negative effects of not sleeping enough include: impaired attention, difficulty retaining information, and difficulty staying awake in class (Should schools start later). If school was started later, less students would be sleeping in class, and they would be paying more attention to what their teacher is