Sleep is one of the most important biological aspects of life. Many organisms, including humans, require sleep in order to maintain health, and feel more alert during the day. There are severe consequences if not enough sleep is obtained, such as increased risk of heart disease, depression, and rapid skin aging. In our modern society, many people, including teens, do not receive much sleep. As a result, there is much debate going around regarding whether or not the high school start time should stay the same at around 7:30, or start later in the morning. The high school start time should be push by another hour to ensure that teens receive as much sleep as possible, to around eight AM. This should occur because research shows that high school students do better with a later start time; their attendance increased, and so did test scores. Another reason why the start time should be later is due to the fact that a teen will be more rested, the likelihood of accidents, such as car crashes, decreases due to them being more alert and aware. Lastly, the chances of health- related accidents, like heart attacks and …show more content…
Sleep is a time of rapid healing or, in many people, a time of rapid growth. Long periods of restful sleep accounts for the release of growth hormone in these teens, and is linked to brain maturation, which aids in the intelligence and overall maturation of an individual, if they are constantly sleep deprived, this process is severely hindered. To add insult to injury, memory consolidation, long-term memory, and its retrieval are all affected by sleep restriction, as a result, less sleep equates to a reduced level of academic