Argumentative Essay: Middle And High School Start Times

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“Early to bed, early to rise makes a man healthy and wise,” like Ben Franklin said. But does this apply to teens. A common problem for teens in the modern age is school is starting too early. Most Middle and High Schools start at 7 to 7:40. Kids the age from 6-13 should get 9-11 hours of sleep every night. Kids are getting more into caffeine products and watching TV and playing electronics. For the first time the CDC, The Federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is urging education policymakers to start Middle and High school classes later in the morning. In more than 40 states, at least 75% of public schools start earlier than 8:30. ADD MORE If school does not get pushed back later in the morning and kids do not get enough sleep, they will get many health problems. Some health problems include heart disease, heart attack, heart failure, and irregular heartbeat. High Blood Pressure, Stroke, Diabetes, Being Depressed, Aging Skin, Helping to forget things, Gaining Weight, Risk of Death, and …show more content…

Most districts already have staggered start times for the schools and they report that delaying the high school start time would have a domino effect on all the schools which would become a disaster. Teens may be more likely to get the recommended amount of sleep. A delayed start time could help teens sleep during their natural sleep/wake cycles. Teens may be less likely to depend on caffeine to stay awake during the day. Sleeping longer could reduce health-related issues that accompany sleep deprivation. Getting home later in the afternoon may reduce the amount of time some teens are home alone, and could decrease the likelihood teens will engage in unhealthy and inappropriate