In recent years, the early start times of high schools has been a growing concern for parents and educators but a pain for the students. Many high schools such as mine have start times as early as 7:05 am which is often well before students have had the opportunity to get enough sleep. The early start time can lead to negative consequences such as increased stress, difficulty concentrating, and poorer academic performance which could all be improved with later start times. I believe later start times will allow students to get more sleep, better mental and physical health, and improved economic performance which will improve students’ school experience and OLHS as a whole. 

To begin later start times for high schools will allow students to get more sleep that they desperately need. Studies show that “Teenagers need eight to 10 hours of sleep per night, but almost 60% of middle schoolers and more than 70% of high schoolers don’t get enough sleep on school nights, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention”(U.S News). There are many students like me who have homework and sports on top of academics making it really hard for students to get to bed on time. Having to wake up at 6 a.m. is really hard and it is unfair that we have to wake up that early and be expected to do work throughout the day. It is a proven fact that if school started later teens would get more sleep which would be very beneficial. 

To add to the idea that later start times will improve sleep cycles and amounts of sleep the result of that is better mental and physical health for teens. “With later start times many adolescents are able to obtain at least eight hours of sleep per night.” That leads to better physical and mental health, including decreased rates of depression and anxiety and less caffeine use, Harris says as well as Albert Einstein College of Medicine.” Teens who get more sleep are more likely to have good overall health and less likely to become stressed or depressed. Getting more sleep results in a better overall mood which will positively assist students during the day. Furthermore, sleep is needed to reset your brain and your body. Sleep helps to repair muscles and is when the body does the most growing which is very important for adolescents. Allowing teens to get more sleep by starting school later will improve students overall mood and mental/physical health. 

My last point is that later start times will in turn raise academic results which would be helpful to both the school and the students.  When school’s push back start times students benefit from more sleep which is crucial for cognitive function, memory and focus. Enough rest allows students to engage more effectively in class which will in turn improve test scores. Additionally adding on to my point above, extra sleep reduces stress and improves overall mental health further enhancing academic performance. Further proving my point studying middle schools in Wake County, North Carolina, with variable start times, economics professor Finley Edwards found that starting school an hour later would raise test scores an average of 2 percentile points in math and 1.5 points in English. Effects were larger for lower-performing students.” Later start times contribute to a more productive and successful learning environment which the school should be promoting. 

High schools should start school later to prioritize their health, well being, and overall academic success. Research consistently shows that adolescents require more sleep for proper functioning and physical development that would also improve focus, mood, and overall productivity both in school and outside. Given the long term benefits, it is crucial that schools reconsider their schedule and adjust them to better align with students’ schedules. So let me ask you this: why are high schoolers getting the shorter end of the stick when they need the sleep the most?