Why Do School Start Later?

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Similar to mental health, poor physical health is another effect of less sleep. The long term effects of sleep deprivation can include diabetes, heart disease, obesity, and a shortened life (Mardon). Another report done to show the implementation and impact of school start times later than 9:00 AM showed that implementing a 10:00 AM start time on 13- through 16-year olds saw a decrease in student illness after two years of over 50%. Then reverting back to 8:50 AM start time saw a 30% increase in student illness (Kelley). This study shows that when schools start later, less students become ill and when school times are earlier, more students are ill. Finally, another health scare caused by sleep deprivation is injuries and death of students …show more content…
However, it seems to be that school officials are stripping the quality of education from their students by making them sleep less. Earlier school start times make students sleep less. “Studies found that earlier school start times may result in fewer hours of sleep as students may not fully compensate for earlier rising times with earlier bedtimes,” (Edwards). Schools can begin as early as 7:30 AM and as a late as 9:00 AM. On the earlier side of the spectrum, students can expect missing breakfast, spending more (or less) time on sports, television, and homework. It could also mean more absents, tardies, and behavioral problems in school (Edwards). The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends a start time beginning at 8:30 AM to better align with teenagers natural body rhythms. (Hinton). “Hormonal changes, in particular, the secretion of melatonin, shift the natural circadian rhythm of adolescents, making it increasingly difficult to fall asleep early in the evening,” (Edwards). So, there is science backing the stigma of teenagers’ difficulty of getting out of bed. Interestingly, a study done on a Rhode Island high school found that starting school 30 minutes later (from 8:00 AM to 8:30 AM) found that students slept 45 minutes more. (Burke). This could be because they are able to focus better in school which alleviates the amount of schoolwork to be done at