Why High School Should Start Later

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Isabella Bishop DeWorken Advanced English 9 16 May 2024 High Schools Should Start Later Teenagers need 8-10 hours of sleep, but they normally go to bed around midnight or later. This is an issue for their mental and physical health. If schools start later, then students might be able to get the 8 hours, they need. It would decrease sleepy teens in school, students being late to first block, and more. High schools should adopt later start times to better align with students' sleep patterns, improving academic performance, mental health, and overall, well-being. According to this quote, “The National Sleep Foundation recommends 8-10 hours of sleep for ages 14-17” (Goldsmith 7). Teenagers need 8-10 hours of sleep, and sadly they are not getting it. Teenagers …show more content…
This quote shows just how many students struggle with sleep. These teens drag themselves to school while tired. What is the impact on their mental health? What are the consequences of not sleeping enough? There is a significant impact on teenagers if they do not get enough sleep, and here are a few. ‘“I feel general fatigue and inability to focus on class if I don’t get enough sleep for one night. But after a few nights of not enough sleep, I start waking up with a sore throat,’ he says” (Goldsmith 39). This is one example of a student not getting enough sleep and how it affected him. In the book he said that he could not focus on his work, and he was constantly tired in class. He also stated that his physical well-being was impacted as well. Another impact is driving while drowsy. Most teenagers end up driving while in high school, but they do not realize the risks of driving while fatigued. “Driving while drowsy is nearly as dangerous as driving while drunk” (Goldsmith 45). Driving while drowsy is a huge problem with teenagers, according to this