The Importance Of Later Start In High School

Later Start A highly debated question is what time should school start and end. Some argue a schedule from early in the morning to mid-afternoon; yet, as a high schooler, I believe in a model where school starts around ten o’clock and finishes at five o’clock. This model coordinates with a teenager’s natural sleep cycle, assures students are well rested, and gives students that are early risers extra time to accomplish tasks prior to arriving at school. With the model I prefer, imagine starting each school day more rested and refreshed as well as having a much more relaxing and productive school day.

The National Sleep Foundation states that a teenager needs around eight to ten hours of sleep to perform at his or her best. The more sleep you get helps a person to eat better, increases growth rate and manages the stress of being a teen. With teenage sleep patterns that usually consist of late nights spent studying and getting up early for school, adolescents are not getting close to the preferred or recommended range. In fact, only 15 percent of students get at least eight and a half hours each night. With patterns like this, how can school officials expect students to perform at their highest quality? Now if you can imagine the alternate schedule of starting
I often see my sister just grabbing a cup of yogurt for breakfast, not supplying her with nearly enough of the nutritional values she needs. She has traded a nutritious breakfast for extra minutes of sleep. She is not alone in her actions. Many of my other friends choose not to participate in eating breakfast either. With a change in the schedule, more students would eat breakfast in the mornings. By allowing them more time to get ready in the morning, students will not be as rushed. With more students now getting a more nutritious meal in the morning, it will boost attention in classes, keep students awake, and students will be more