Why Schools Should Have a Later Start Time
School expectations are high enough, should we have to be sleep deprived too?
By Allison Gilman, reporter
The Coronavirus pandemic has not only hindered the quality of students' education, but our mental integrity as well. One of the major contributing factors in the decline of students' mental health has been lack of sleep. Symptoms of exhaustion can include fatigue, trouble with concentration, impaired judgement, and lower levels of alertness and responsiveness. All of these can negatively affect a students ability to perform in school. According to the American Academy of Sleep Medicine, on average 73% of high school students do not get enough sleep, this is because students will model after their parents. They will go to bed earlier, then their brain releases melatonin, a hormone that makes you feel tired, and wake up before their brains can function properly.
This is due to a bodily process called your circadian rhythm. Your circadian rhythm acts as an inner clock and regulates your 24 hour cycle. But, with puberty, it changes. Teenagers' rhythms differ from adults as teenagers tend to remain alert up to two hours after adults. This is why teens are known for staying up
late and sleeping in, in the mornings. We’re not lazy, our bodies simply run on a different schedule than adults. This is why schools should have a later start time. School schedules run on adult time, typically 8 to 3. So, for our teachers and administrators waking up at 6 am, getting ready, eating breakfast and going to work may not be an issue, but for students, just eating breakfast that early in the morning can become nauseating.
Schools having a later start time not only benefit students, but adults as well. Some of the benefits for teachers is having students be more alert, less behavioral issues, and it may encourage students having a hard time to do better in school! Some arguments made against this topic are that we won’t have enough time for extracurricular and after school activities. While this is a valid point, students' mental and physical health’s need to come before sports and other activities. Students that participate in extracurricular activities are some of the most stressed students, so more sleep for them will cause better performance in these activities and in the long run, an hour or two later will not affect the schedule too much.
Schools should have a later start time for the better of their students’ mental health. Coronavirus has not only made things worse, but has also brought many things to light. The many problems and discrepancies that exist within the American public school system being one of them. High school students are already put under a tremendous amount of pressure to do well in school, and being exhausted makes that seemingly impossible. Ultimately, sleep seems like a small part of life, but in reality it affects you more than you think.
School expectations are high enough, should we have to be sleep deprived too?
By Allison Gilman, reporter
The Coronavirus pandemic has not only hindered the quality of students' education, but our mental integrity as well. One of the major contributing factors in the decline of students' mental health has been lack of sleep. Symptoms of exhaustion can include fatigue, trouble with concentration, impaired judgement, and lower levels of alertness and responsiveness. All of these can negatively affect a students ability to perform in school. According to the American Academy of Sleep Medicine, on average 73% of high school students do not get enough sleep, this is because students will model after their parents. They will go to bed earlier, then their brain releases melatonin, a hormone that makes you feel tired, and wake up before their brains can function properly.
This is due to a bodily process called your circadian rhythm. Your circadian rhythm acts as an inner clock and regulates your 24 hour cycle. But, with puberty, it changes. Teenagers' rhythms differ from adults as teenagers tend to remain alert up to two hours after adults. This is why teens are known for staying up
late and sleeping in, in the mornings. We’re not lazy, our bodies simply run on a different schedule than adults. This is why schools should have a later start time. School schedules run on adult time, typically 8 to 3. So, for our teachers and administrators waking up at 6 am, getting ready, eating breakfast and going to work may not be an issue, but for students, just eating breakfast that early in the morning can become nauseating.
Schools having a later start time not only benefit students, but adults as well. Some of the benefits for teachers is having students be more alert, less behavioral issues, and it may encourage students having a hard time to do better in school! Some arguments made against this topic are that we won’t have enough time for extracurricular and after school activities. While this is a valid point, students' mental and physical health’s need to come before sports and other activities. Students that participate in extracurricular activities are some of the most stressed students, so more sleep for them will cause better performance in these activities and in the long run, an hour or two later will not affect the schedule too much.
Schools should have a later start time for the better of their students’ mental health. Coronavirus has not only made things worse, but has also brought many things to light. The many problems and discrepancies that exist within the American public school system being one of them. High school students are already put under a tremendous amount of pressure to do well in school, and being exhausted makes that seemingly impossible. Ultimately, sleep seems like a small part of life, but in reality it affects you more than you think.
Works Cited
Healthflash, health.com.au/sleep-deprivation-effects/.
Sleep; Circadian Rhythm (Sleep & Consciousness Series) - Magoosh MCAT, mcat.magoosh.com/lessons/4078-sleep-circadian-rhythm-sleep-consciousness-series#:~:text=Teenagers have different Circadian rhythms than adults, but,the high school schedule is 8 to 3.
Campbell, Leah. “Is Your Teen Getting Enough Sleep? 73% Don't. Here's Why.” Healthline, Healthline Media, 8 Oct. 2019, www.healthline.com/health-news/73-of-high-school-students-dont-get-enough-sleep.
Rudgard, Olivia. “Young People Struggle to Cope with Setbacks as Happiness Falls to Lowest Level in a Decade .” The Telegraph, Telegraph Media Group, 5 Apr. 2018, www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2018/04/05/young-people-struggle-cope-setbacks-happiness-falls-lowest-level/.
Sleep; Circadian Rhythm (Sleep & Consciousness Series) - Magoosh MCAT, mcat.magoosh.com/lessons/4078-sleep-circadian-rhythm-sleep-consciousness-series#:~:text=Teenagers have different Circadian rhythms than adults, but,the high school schedule is 8 to 3.
Campbell, Leah. “Is Your Teen Getting Enough Sleep? 73% Don't. Here's Why.” Healthline, Healthline Media, 8 Oct. 2019, www.healthline.com/health-news/73-of-high-school-students-dont-get-enough-sleep.
Rudgard, Olivia. “Young People Struggle to Cope with Setbacks as Happiness Falls to Lowest Level in a Decade .” The Telegraph, Telegraph Media Group, 5 Apr. 2018, www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2018/04/05/young-people-struggle-cope-setbacks-happiness-falls-lowest-level/.