We have grown accustomed to school starting before 8:30 A.M., but is it beneficial for teens? This schedule has always been implemented in middle and high schools, but it does not account for the sleep cycle of young adults.
It is recommended for teenagers to get between 8-10 hours of sleep, but it can be challenging for those who balance extracurriculars, homework, and jobs. Sleep deprivation is the most common among teenagers and can be the most harmful when it comes to performing basic daily tasks, mental health, and academic performance. So, it raises the question; is starting school later beneficial for high school and middle school students?
If later start times came to high schools, it would show an improvement in academic performance and overall mind and body performance. When you get enough sleep, it improves your cognitive skills and memory, which helps in learning capabilities and storing the information learned from classes.
Mrs. Reed, Doherty’s psychology teacher says, “I am IN FAVOR of later start times since it would be more in line with when the teenage brain begins to shut off the supply of melatonin…it doesn’t shut off until 8:30 – 9:00 so teens are sleepier coming to school at 7:30.”
When it comes to mental health, a lack of sleep can cause several issues such as depression, anxiousness, and induced stress. In fact, some doctors worry that sleep deprivation may make mental disorders worse or introduce symptoms.
When continuing into the school year, the harder it gets. With finals coming up it becomes challenging to get enough hours of sleep in since most students are trying to study and balance other activities. Sleep is crucial and plays a crucial role in mood regulations and being able to memorize the material you are learning and studying.
According to sleepjunkie.com, “In contrast, when they are sleep-deprived, they are more likely to experience frequent mood swings, higher levels of irritability, and attention-related behavior problems.”
With improper amounts of sleep, some students feel sluggish and might not be motivated to study or complete work to their best. This causes so many issues and could add more stress to students; it has negative effects all around.
Zoee Smith, a junior at Doherty says, “Honestly, I think it would help students a lot. A lack of sleep always produces more stress for me; I feel like I can never fully focus in my morning classes.”
Other than academic performance and mood regulation, later start times can show a decrease in car accidents. Sleep deprivation causes delayed reaction times, reduced focus, and increased drowsiness which leads to higher risk of a car accident. Unfortunately, being asleep while driving is the cause of 1 in 10 car accidents a year, and 27% of these accidents sadly involve teens.
There are a bunch of other schools around Colorado and nationwide that have given later start times a try and see improvement with things like truancy, academic performance, and mental health. D11 has introduced new rules this school year and this change could be really beneficial not only for students, but teachers and parents as well.
