Effects Of High School Start Later Essay

Middle and high schools around the nation are welcoming students in the morning at the average of 8:07 am, nearly 30 minutes earlier than recommended by health officials. Studies show that 20% of all students fall asleep during class on a regular basis, and a recent National Sleep Foundation study shows that only 15% of teens get the amount of sleep their brain needs. The reasons for such early start times include convenience for working parents, and daylight for extracurricular activities. Teenage brains develop a biological body clock, wiring them to wake up later in the morning. This gives an unfair disadvantage to the teen students in their early morning classes, when the brain is not fully functioning. A combination of extracurricular activities, homework, and the wiring of a teenager’s brain are also components to why teens tend to fall asleep later at night. Lack of sleep in teenagers greatly affect
Studies done in Nauset Regional High School as well as middles schools in the city of Worcester show that when the school start time was delayed, dramatic shifts appeared in the natures of the students. Nauset High discovered a 53 percent drop in the number of failing grades, and the number of days students were suspended dropped from 116 to 19. The amount of tardies at these schools became four times fewer, and the student’s GPAs rose. The brains of teenagers getting enough sleep function better, making them more alert and aware. For example, sleep deprivation is the cause of 20% of all car crashes as stated by car accident researchers. Additionally, schools with early start times simultaneously have more car accidents in the morning. As shown by the National Sleep Foundation, loss of sleep leads greatly damages the brain, causing things such as weight gain, anxiety, depression, and irritableness. Giving students more time to sleep is beneficial for their safety and