If you are anything like me, you HATE getting up early in the mornings and having to go to school. In this article, I will discuss how it would be beneficial to start school later.
School started recently. I find myself having trouble doing work after school, especially at around 9 or 10 pm solely because I am so tired from waking up early. We have to go to school for many hours at a time, complete sports or extracurricular activities. Then we are expected to complete our homework and make time for necessary things such as eating and showering.
By the time we get to sleep, it’s 1 am and we’re exhausted from the day. We can’t function like this and be healthy. Studies show that students with later school start times can have better physical health and a healthier weight. Kids may also have fewer behavioral problems by starting school later, and there would likely be fewer driving accidents on the road. Sleeplessness is a big factor contributing to car accidents in many places. Lastly, students would have better attendance records, as they’d have proper time to get ready for school and arrive on time for their daily classes.
A large factor as to why students and teens specifically should go to school later is because of something called their delayed circadian rhythm. Teens’ sleep patterns are delayed a couple of hours from the average person’s sleeping time, so instead of being able to fall asleep at say, nine, teens would only be able to fall asleep at around eleven.
If they then have to wake up at seven in the morning, they would not get the amount of sleep they need. (Teens need 9 to 10 hours of sleep). Only a delayed school start time would be appropriate for most teenagers and allow them to get the most sleep and reach their potential.
If we, as a society, want teenagers to be their best and perform the best in school, the only solution is to move the start times back every day. This way, teenagers can be happier, less stressed, and healthier while receiving an education.
Sources
https://www.sleepjunkie.com/benefits-to-starting-school-later/