Should Schools Start Later?

Click to enlarge. Infographic created by Nicole on piktochart.com
Click to enlarge. Infographic created by Nicole on piktochart.com

Waking up in the morning is part of a daily routine, but even if it’s repeated, it remains as a heavy chore rather than something easy to get used to. In the early hours of the morning, the brain is half-asleep, in a non-productive stance. Learning proves to be difficult, and the body yearns to rest. School days should be easier to pull through, but the odd time it starts at, affects student performance. A later start time could be better.

With loads of homework, some students have to stay up late in order to get it finished in time. They get little sleep because of this and have to wake up early the next morning. By delaying school start times, they could get more sleep. According to HelpGuide.org,  you should wake up at the same time everyday. On weekends, most like to sleep in. The inconsistency of anyone’s wake up times could give them difficulties trying to sleep.

Students are more innovative and alert when the morning is over. EducationNext says that results show schools with a later start time in a standardized test, scored 3 percentile points more than the schools who started early. Without groggy eyes and a strong desire to sleep, students will pay attention more and be more likely to learn and remember what they have been taught. “I think late starts everyday would be nice because many middle schoolers stay up late doing homework so many people are showing up at school tired and distracted,” 8th grader Audrey L. said.

Many have argued that waking up early is a part of life. Kids need to get used to it because when they become adults, their jobs may clock in the first hours of the morning. Sleepdex says that younger people tend to stay up later, in which, it would only be logical for them to wake up later. Adults are programmed to fall asleep earlier, so that’s why it’s not much of a pain for them to wake up in the first hours of the morning.

We have become accustomed to mindlessly getting up too early on school days. Demanded to perform well, a lot of stress is put on the brains which crave to get a deeper, more peaceful rest. Pushing the start of school to a later time has been proven to be intellectually beneficial and healthier for students. Schools who try this practice just might have an academic advantage.