Every year, millions of high school students attend school while their brains are still waking up, raising the question of whether later start times could affect teens’ health and learning. Research has shown that teenagers naturally fall asleep later at night, which is why many high school students are not getting the recommended eight hours of sleep, according to the CDC. This is why researchers are trying to determine whether it would be beneficial to push school start times later in the morning.
In a study concerning the early starting times of young teens in school, it was found that students who began school before 8:30 a.m. received less sleep. Penn State sleep researcher and study author Orfeu Buxton said, “Teens starting school at 8:30 a.m. or later were the only group with an average time in bed permitting eight hours of sleep, the minimum recommended by expert consensus.” This shows that early start times can be a reason why students are not getting enough sleep.
A lack of sleep can be very destructive to mental and academic success, according to experts and researchers. Students who do not get enough sleep may have trouble concentrating, learning new information, or remembering information. According to the Sleep Foundation, Dr. Lisa Grant, a pediatric sleep specialist, suggests, “When students do not get enough sleep, their ability to learn and retain information decreases.” This can cause students to fall behind in class and, as a result, receive lower grades.
Due to these issues, many schools are now considering the effects of early dismissal times on education, as many teenagers are simply not getting enough sleep. It’s shown that these students may find it difficult to concentrate and participate in class, leading many to believe that students will be more attentive during the school day if start times are moved back. According to research, students would not only get more sleep but also perform better academically if school start times were later, which would be very beneficial to young students’ minds and bodies
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The correlation between later school start times and increased sleep among students has been found to positively impact mental health and academic performance. Schools across the country are examining these results as they consider changes to class schedules, hoping to benefit all students.
