Benefits of Later Start Times in Middle and High Schools

When it comes to middle and high schools, they tend to start early, not generally knowing why the kids are tired. Only 15% of schools in America start at 8:30 or later, and it’s affecting schools across the country. Early school start times plague the students with low grades, sleep deprivation, and lower social skills. A solution to all of those factors would be to make the school start time later than 8:00. Middle school start times should be later because grades would be better, more time to wake up, and better social skills. They can’t just make a kid wake up and learn when they want to be asleep! One great reason why school should start later would be to give the kids time to wake up. According to the National Sleep Foundation, 60% of

“Over time, sleep deprivation leads to serious consequences for academic achievement, social behavior, and the health of our nation’s youth.” -Congresswomen. If schools continue to start early, the more frustrated you can be around peers. The lack of sleep makes people crabby and irritated. Homework is a major problem when it comes to sleep. In other words, students force themselves to finish their homework, and strive to succeed in school. All of the work that they do can make them irritable around friends, and takes time away from activities. However, someone might say that it would not be wise to move the middle school start time. If the school start time becomes later, than the elementary start times would be earlier. But research has shown that middle and high schoolers need the extra sleep for their rapidly growing body. But, the fact that elementary school students are younger than their middle and high school siblings means that they would be home alone for a bit. If the kid is mature and is a later elementary student, they could stay home alone. But younger elementary students would need to be babysat by a