assignment 1.

Do Teens Need to Sleep In Later?

According to the article written by New York Times, waking teens up and forcing them to attend school earlier and earlier is “arbitrary” and “a poor economic decision”. The recommended amount of sleep that most high school students should be getting is 10 hours, according to The National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute. Most students do NOT get this kind of sleep, and it isn’t their fault either. Some researchers have concluded that a solution to this problem would be to start school later.

While many students think that getting more sleep should lead to a cutback on homework or extra curricular activities, this isn’t the case. Students can’t help going to bed late, it’s in their nature. Teens want to wake up later. It isn’t the amount of activities that prevent them from getting enough sleep, it’s the starting time of school. Studies show that more than 90% of high schools start before 8:30 am. Students must be up early enough to get ready, eat breakfast, and in some cases, catch a bus. A lot of preparation goes into waking up early for school. What if school was pushed back?

  While some people argue that by delaying school, teens will only go to bed later and get the same amount of sleep as they normally would. This, however, isn’t the case. Six studies show that “delaying the start of school from 25 to 60 minutes corresponded with increased sleep time of 25 to 77 minutes per week night” (Carroll). This research means that by pushing back the start of school, students are able to get more rest.

Marco Hafner, a researcher at Brooklings Institution, concluded that by pushing school later than 8:30 am would add $83 billion to the economy within ten years. While this is a major implication, the benefits would be a decrease in student car crash mortality, increase in academic performance, and an “increase student lifetime earnings” (Carroll). These benefits aren’t only limited to this either. Research was only done for certain empirical data. Scientists don’t yet know the benefits on problems such as “improvements in rates of depression, suicide and obesity, or the overall effects on health” (Carroll).

Only a handful of schools are taking this issue seriously. Personally, I know I could benefit from more sleep and a bettering sleep schedule. This could cut down on naps in class and increase performance during school hours. Teenagers need the most sleep out of anyone. Waking up early is, according to the New York Times Article, “a bad health decision”. Sleep gives us a chance to recharge out bodies and prepare for the day ahead. When I lack the sleep I need, I have clouded judgement and cannot learn to the best of my ability.

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