Having a textbook double as a pillow is never a fun experience. Falling asleep in class can be embarrassing, yet the cause of such an event is not a teenager’s fault. Many teenagerss stay up late studying or working on homework, and are unable to wake up the following day. According to an article by National Public Radio, “As children become teenagers, their sleep-wake cycle shifts two hours later, so it's difficult, if not impossible, for them to go to sleep before 10:30 p.m” (Shute). However, Sumathi Reddy’s Wall Street Journal article observes that over 42% of high schools in the US start prior to 8 am, and just 15% begin after 8:30 (Reddy). In order to benefit students, secondary school should start later in the day. By doing so, a change
…show more content…
Danny Lewin, a sleep specialist at Children’s National Health System in Washington, D.C., states why he believes that school should start later for teens. “‘Adolescents have a deeply programmed biological [clock] to go to bed later and wake later’... As kids get older, their sleep-wake cycle shifts so it's difficult for them to turn in before 11 p.m”(qtd. in Herrington). This change in adolescents is caused by neurotransmitters dopamine and melatonin being produced two to three hours later in teens, than in adults and children. As these chemicals control the act of feeling sleepy, teens do not feel tired until later. A poll conducted by the National Sleep Foundation “found that 59 percent of middle schoolers and 87 percent of high schoolers are getting less than the recommended 8.5 to 9.5 hours of sleep a night” (Shute; Fischetti). This shows that sleeping patterns of teenagers have clearly led to sleep deprivation. Early school times cause teens to wake sooner, leading to even less sleep. This lack of sleep can have many negative effects on adolescents, including, “increased reliance of substances like caffeine, tobacco and alcohol... Even a half-hour delay, some studies showed, can have dramatic effects on improving children's health and academic performance” (Park). Not only can the extra sleep …show more content…
“Effects of [sleep] deprivation may show up in their grades; about 30% of students report falling asleep in class at least once a week, and studies consistently connect less sleep with lower grades in school and on standardized tests” (Park). Not only do sleep-deprived students have lower grades and test scores, but inversely, studies have shown that teens that are not sleep deprived perform better in standardized tests, have higher grades and have more consistent attendance (Herrington). This effect is more prevalent in Kyla Wahlstrom’s study. “Wahlstrom, director of the Center for Applied Research and Educational Improvement at the University of Minnesota published a study... that tracked more than 9,000 students in eight public high schools in Minnesota, Colorado and Wyoming.” After a semester of the schools starting at 8:35 am or later, grades rose about a quarter of a step (Fischetti). Similarly, other studies in countries abroad have garnered comparable results. “The key is allowing teens to get at least eight hours of sleep, preferably nine” (Fischetti). While this may not seem like much, the active improvement of grades reinforce the idea that a later school time is beneficial to
Danny Lewin, a sleep specialist at Children’s National Health System in Washington, D.C., states why he believes that school should start later for teens. “‘Adolescents have a deeply programmed biological [clock] to go to bed later and wake later’... As kids get older, their sleep-wake cycle shifts so it's difficult for them to turn in before 11 p.m”(qtd. in Herrington). This change in adolescents is caused by neurotransmitters dopamine and melatonin being produced two to three hours later in teens, than in adults and children. As these chemicals control the act of feeling sleepy, teens do not feel tired until later. A poll conducted by the National Sleep Foundation “found that 59 percent of middle schoolers and 87 percent of high schoolers are getting less than the recommended 8.5 to 9.5 hours of sleep a night” (Shute; Fischetti). This shows that sleeping patterns of teenagers have clearly led to sleep deprivation. Early school times cause teens to wake sooner, leading to even less sleep. This lack of sleep can have many negative effects on adolescents, including, “increased reliance of substances like caffeine, tobacco and alcohol... Even a half-hour delay, some studies showed, can have dramatic effects on improving children's health and academic performance” (Park). Not only can the extra sleep …show more content…
“Effects of [sleep] deprivation may show up in their grades; about 30% of students report falling asleep in class at least once a week, and studies consistently connect less sleep with lower grades in school and on standardized tests” (Park). Not only do sleep-deprived students have lower grades and test scores, but inversely, studies have shown that teens that are not sleep deprived perform better in standardized tests, have higher grades and have more consistent attendance (Herrington). This effect is more prevalent in Kyla Wahlstrom’s study. “Wahlstrom, director of the Center for Applied Research and Educational Improvement at the University of Minnesota published a study... that tracked more than 9,000 students in eight public high schools in Minnesota, Colorado and Wyoming.” After a semester of the schools starting at 8:35 am or later, grades rose about a quarter of a step (Fischetti). Similarly, other studies in countries abroad have garnered comparable results. “The key is allowing teens to get at least eight hours of sleep, preferably nine” (Fischetti). While this may not seem like much, the active improvement of grades reinforce the idea that a later school time is beneficial to