Why School Should Start Later

Imagine studying for hours upon hours all night for a certain test. You finally get to sleep, only to be woken up at 6:00 am. Off to school you rush to take the test at 7:30 A.M. How can you concentrate, or even stay awake? Many highschool and middle school students can easily relate to the feeling of being this exhausted. They try their hardest, but their schedules just don’t allow time to get adequate rest. This is very harmful for students in many different ways. School should start later because it would be beneficial for students, cause less stress, and reduce the chances of health risks. School should start later because it is beneficial for students both physically and academically. Nancy Kalish, the author of “The Early Bird Gets the

Getting less than the amount of sleep suggested is, “... causing more student stress and anxiety…” according to the author of the article “Later Start Times, Less Homework to Help Students Cope with Stress” found in the Pioneer Press(2). This shows that by having early start times, students have less time to sleep, and this puts a lot of pressure on students to achieve. Teens feel stressed out about tests and other assignments that they cannot do their best on because they don’t get enough sleep. The author also states that schools are already cramming in information, so if times are shifted, the hours in school can be prolonged (3). Students could learn at a more relaxed pace, which would reduce most anxiety for teens. Others may say that by moving both start and end times of school, a student’s whole schedule has to change. However, if school times are on the schedule as many different workplaces, it would be easier for working parents to pick their kids up. Also, schools can implement a time for homework in the lengthened school day, so teens can spend more time at home with family that they most likely don’t see often. Clearly, later start times will only benefit