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