High School Start Time Essay

Adolescent Sleep Patterns and High School Start Times
The question of whether or not to delay the start times of high school has been debated and it is clear that there are both advantages and disadvantages. There are certainly benefits to making school start times later, particularly in regards to the behavioural and mental effects on the students. However, there is also the social and economic side to consider, as changes in the start time plague these areas with issues. Even though both sides of the argument will be explored, the evidence ultimately supports and proves that the positives of having a later start time in high school outweigh the negatives. This is due to the varying aspects and effects of adolescence on sleep. Personal chronotypes, or personal preferences, are an obvious factor in this as the majority of teenagers prefer the evening to night-time hours …show more content…
There is compelling evidence supporting the theory that the combination of adolescent sleep patterns and the early school start times limit the amount of sleep students get each night, causing an inadequate sleep duration. The results from these studies by Kirby, Maggi & D’Angiulli (2011), Boergers (2014) and Dewald, Meijer, Oort, Kerkhof, & Bögels (2010) prove that insufficient sleep affects students’ attitude and performance at school. However, hindrances and extraneous variables such as personal ability were also found. The social and economic factors of making a new timetable were the main arguments, but these pale in comparison to the benefits of changing the start times in schools- the positive attitude, the higher performance, higher attendance- the list goes on. Therefore, due to the effects of early start times on sleep, and consequently on students’ performance and behaviour during the day, high school should indeed start later on in the