Delayed Bell: Benefits of Starting School One Hour Later

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Delayed Bell

For some high school students, sleep is not considered a necessity – but rather, a luxury. Sports, extra-curricular activities, and Fine Arts programs play an important role in students’ lives and require a significant amount of commitment and dedication. Social life aside, some students have taken the additional endeavors of acquiring jobs, participating in volunteer activities, and taking extra Advanced Placement classes. With too many tasks to fulfill in a twenty-four hour day, high school students are forced to substitute for the most essential condition of all: sleep.

Getting out of bed is becoming a struggle for most teens due to the early demands of high school. Currently, most high schools start around 7:30 a.m., which is earlier than the start times of middle schools and elementary schools. As one source acknowledges, teenagers need sleep, specifically about 8 ½ -- 9 ¼ hours of it. However, most teens today sleep for only about seven, and as days turn to weeks, that number can really add up (Carpenter). A possible solution to this problem would be to have high school begin at 8:30 in the morning, and in addition to that, decrease passing period. High school students are already at school for the majority of the day, but most are not fully benefiting from the educational program because of the lack of attentiveness that is required to solve math problems, stay focused, talk with friends, deal with stress and retain information.

An advantage to starting school later would be that students would be less drowsy at school; thus, being forced to pay attention and -- in the long run -- improve grades. According to a poll conducted by the National Sleep Foundation, “28 percent of students [fall] asleep” during f...

... middle of paper ...

... Beginning high school an hour later might possibly make things a little easier. It is evident that it would improve health, if the students take advantage of the extra hour. But it could also improve grades, abilities and motivation. Beginning school later makes the difficult job of waking up in the morning effortless and enjoyable.

Works Cited

Carpenter, Siri. "Sleep Deprivation May Be Undermining Teen Health." American Psychological Association, Oct. 2001. Web. 20 Nov. 2011.

Kalish, Nancy. "The Early Bird Gets the Bad Grade" The New York Times Company, 14 Jan. 2008. Web. 20 Nov. 2011.

"Later School Start Times" National Sleep Foundation. Web. 20 Nov. 2011.

Strauss, Valerie. "Schools Waking Up to Teens' Unique Sleep Needs." Washington Post Company, 10 Jan. 2006. Web. 20 Nov. 2011.

"Teens and Sleep." National Sleep Foundation. Web. 20 Nov. 2011.

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