Argumentative Essay: Why Should Schools Start Later?

An estimated 40 percent of high schools in the U.S. now have a start time before 8 a.m.; only 15 percent start at 8:30 a.m. or later (Strauss). Students come into school half asleep, not at their full potential to learn. You can tell them to go to bed earlier, but that doesn’t work most of the time. So, why should schools start later? Teenagers are not getting the sleep they need to learn. Students would do better if schools started later in the day. Early start times do not account for the sleep cycle of teenagers. “Teens are among those least likely to get enough sleep; while they need on average 9 ¼ hours of sleep per night for ideal performance, health and brain development, teens average fewer than 7 hours per school night by the end of high school, and most reported feeling tired during the day”, says The Sleep Foundation. Teens need the optimal amount of sleep to perform at their full potential at school or work. If they do not get the sleep they need, they can feel drowsy or lethargic throughout the day. “Biological sleep patterns shift toward later times for both sleeping and waking during adolescence - meaning it is natural to not be able to fall asleep before 11 p.m.”, says Strauss. Teenagers have many things keeping them from going to sleep at night, such as after school activities, work, and technology. Teens spend a great

“Later start times can mean less missed school — absences dropped 15% in Bonneville County, Idaho, after it instituted such a change, according to a 2014 Children’s National Medical Center report”, says Lisa Lewis. Students will be more alert and awake to their surroundings and be able to comprehend things much faster. This can cause fewer accidents and detentions for sleeping in class. “Repeated studies also show that when the school day starts later and teens get more sleep, both grades and standardized test scores go up”, says Lewis. Better grades equals a better