Starting Early or Starting Late?
Many high school students feel tired during the school day, which can distract them from their studies. This often leads to poor grades, irritable teachers, unhappy parents, and a lack of productivity.
Studies have suggested that the average adolescent brain doesn’t begin to function until around 9:30 am. Many schools already use the suggested later arrival time so their students can be ready to learn when they arrive at school. Another thing about high school is all of the homework that needs to be done, including projects, persuasive essays, and the time needed to be a teenager.
Most students have so much work that they stay up all night just to get it done. As a teenager needing a minimum of 9 hours of sleep, getting up at 6:30 to be ready for school is just not enough time. It’s easy to think that students will procrastinate even more, but the average teenager is smarter than you may think. It’s absurd to think that students sleep during the school day. The fact is that many students fall asleep during class.
Remember that sleep isn’t something you can make yourself not want. Throwing water on your face, listening to loud music, or taking a shower cannot make your body’s craving for sleep disappear. The fact is, puberty demands more sleep. There are also risks involved with not getting enough sleep. Most people will be very sleepy and drowsy during the day, experience mood and behavioral problems, and even increased vulnerability to drugs and alcohol. These things could also develop into more serious sleeping disorders.
Experts advise not to read or watch television shows when unwinding from a day at school or work. Mary Carskadon, of Brown University’s School of Medicine, even believes that students do not need any more sleep than adults do. However, Carskadon still recommends that school start times should be later in the day. The average high school student just needs a little slack every once in a while to cope with being a teen. Sleep may not solve their problems, but it definitely helps in the long run.
