Why We Should Start Later In High School

Words: 1067
Pages: 5

Students across the United States are finding it increasingly more difficult to incorporate an item we deem to be a luxury in our society into their rigorous, hectic schedules: sleep. From after school activities to sports to work and to homework, teenagers barely have the time to take a breath. Sleep is a necessity that we cannot afford to lose, but unfortunately, high schools across the nation begin the day much earlier than many teenagers can tolerate, and because of this, students have been negatively impacted by this lack of sleep.

Nearly 10% of all high schools in the United States start school before 7:30 am, and another 40% start before 8:00 am. This schedule does not correctly fit the sleep patterns teenagers follow, and by starting too early, high schools are disrupting their
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High schools often question whether a delayed start time will be the most successful approach for students. Moving back the start time poses a series of complications, but not all problems come without a solution.

Transportation is one main concern of altering start times. If high school starting times are moved back, then what is to come of the lower grades? Will their school starting times be forced to be pushed back also? A simple solution to this concern is switching the starting times of high schools with elementary schools. Younger children are often awake much earlier in the morning, and this also allows parents of elementary students to go to work earlier and return home much sooner when they do not have to wait to send their children to school until the late morning. High school students will no longer have to drag themselves from one class only to find themselves asleep minutes later in the