Every morning, students have to drag themselves out of bed to make it to school on time. At school, teenagers are expected to stay focused and motivated despite being exhausted. School start times are simply too early and are negatively impacting students’ mental health and academic performance.
One of the main problems with start times is sleep deprivation. Students are expected to do well in school, but that’s hard to achieve when they don’t get enough sleep. Teenagers are supposed to get eight to ten hours of sleep, so when that is taken away, it’s harder to concentrate.
Another issue is students’ mental health. When you don’t get enough sleep, you are more prone to stress and anxiety. School and homework already cause stress and anxiety, so when something like early wakes is also brought in, it’s hard to balance everything.
Also, when start times are so early, students are most likely to be absent and tardy. When students have to wake up to go to school, sometimes they just sleep longer and come in later, or overall just skip school for that day.
When looking over all the disadvantages, later start times would improve so many aspects of school, such as improved mood, more motivation, and an increase in attendance. Schools should really consider this to improve students’ experiences, especially in years like high school.
