Why School Should Start Later

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Pages: 3

Hello! I am a newbie! My name is Sarah Stefanski and I attend Appleton North High School. I am writing to you to propose the idea of changing the school to start an hour later. Appleton North should consider this because it can promote improved academic performance, better mental health, and better sleep for student’s. Mental and physical health will noticeably increase because students will get good sleep to refresh and energize them for the morning. According to the study by the University of Minnesota, it was reported, “Teens who reported they got at least eight hours of sleep per night were more likely to say they have good overall health and less likely to report being depressed or using caffeine and other substances.” Teenagers need at least 8 …show more content…
Several studies show that high school students are among the most sleep-deprived groups due to academic workload, sports, extra-curricular activities and starting their day too early. A study by Harvard and Oxford found that school districts adjust schedules to match the biological wake-up times of each age group. According to another study, the results showed that students’ grades improved by 4.5% after opening an hour later. Just by delaying the school’s opening time by an hour, there was a visible increase in grades. School districts that experimented with later start times found that students manage academic workloads much better. Giving students more time to sleep will improve their academic performance because after obtaining the recommended amount of time, students will be more alert and have more energy, so they will be able to sit through their classes and not feel tired. A study that included 9,000 high school students conducted by the University of Minnesota found that grades, test scores and overall performance in the core subjects advanced significantly when school start times were switched to later