Why Schools Should Start Later

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Do you ever wake up on a weekday morning, still exhausted, dreading going to school? It feels like torture peeling yourself from the covers to get ready for the day when your room is frigid and the sun isn't even up yet. Would you ever feel like you’d be so much more content and focused had you slept in for a little longer? That feeling is widespread, and there are thousands of scientific studies to prove it. The time that school starts needs to be pushed back to give you and millions of other students around the country a chance to get the rest they need. Later start times have proven to be most beneficial for students because they follow the natural sleep cycles of teens, aid in better physical and mental wellness, and increase academic performance. …show more content…
Research has shown that certain physical changes during adolescence force teens to fall asleep later at night than other age groups. One of these changes is your circadian rhythm. What’s the point of this? A circadian rhythm is the physical, mental, and behavioral changes an organism experiences over a 24-hour cycle. The hormones in your body respond differently when you’re a teenager, causing you to feel sleepy much later than you would as a young child or adult. Additionally, these same hormones make you want to sleep longer to reach the 8-10 hours your body needs, according to the American Academy of Sleep Medicine. All of this means that students naturally go to bed later, but are forced to get up earlier than their body is telling them to. This makes for grumpy, overtired, and unfocused students each and every morning. Setting the start time ahead an hour could fix this, even if it means staying at the school later. Several health organizations, including the American Academy of Pediatrics, the American Medical Association, and the American Academy of Sleep Medicine, have recommended starting middle and high school classes after 8:30