Snooze or Lose? The Debate Over Later School Start Times
BY ACHINT KAUR ’27
The majority of high school students dread waking up before the sun rises to make it to school on time. Is this a normal teenage struggle, or is there science behind such challenge?
Researchers at the Child Mind Institute have found that a teenager’s brain and body are designed to stay awake late at night, which can make them especially miserable in the mornings, impacting their academic performance. Schools across the country have shifted start times to help students benefit from longer stretches of sleep, prompting the question: will more sleep really bring more success?
Sleep is one of the most important parts of living a healthy life, especially for growing teens. The CDC has found that teens need an average of 8 to 10 hours of sleep per night to stay healthy and focused in school. The problem is that most high school students fall short of that guideline because of homework, sports, jobs, and late-night studying. When schools begin too early, students often end up sleep-deprived, negatively affecting their mood, focus, and physical health.
Nationwide studies show that later school start times can positively affect students in many ways. According to the American Academy of Pediatrics, middle and high schools should not start school before 8:30 a.m. because teenagers’ biological clocks naturally keep them awake later at night.
One major benefit of later school start times is that students actually get closer to the recommended 8 to 10 hours of sleep. In 1996, a school district in Edina, Minnesota, pushed its start time back by an hour. The result of this change was higher attendance rates and improved grades. Such success led the Minneapolis Public School District to push seven of their high school school start times from 7:15 a.m. to 8:40 a.m. the following school year.
While research shows the benefits of a later school start time for teenagers, some critics argue that later school start times create more complications for students. When a school day starts later, it will end later, leaving students busy deeper into their evenings due to practices, extracurriculars, homework, and more.
For example, at Jericho High School, classes end at 3:31 p.m. every day. Students who play sports are busy until around 6:30 p.m. Due to the later end time, students involved in after-school activities end up starting their homework later at night, which leaves them less time to sleep. Alanna G. ’27 said, “By the time I get home from practice, I still have hours of homework and studying left to complete.” Alanna explained that even with a late school start time, she still rarely gets adequate sleep, as she is usually up late doing homework.
Students from nearby districts also note the complexity of school start times. Syosset High School, for example, starts at 7:39 a.m. Jaslin V. ’27, a student at Syosset High School, said, “Our school starts pretty early, and honestly, I wish we had later start times.” She has noticed the benefits of waking up late on her concentration levels. However, she also acknowledged the problem of ending school much later. She added, “I also know that if school ended later, my nights would be even longer trying to balance everything else.”
Perhaps the interpretation of school start time is a matter of personal opinion, experience, lifestyle, and time management. Jericho student Isabelle K. ’27 shares that she feels more alert and focused starting school later in the High School than her earlier Middle School start time. “I used to fall asleep in first period almost every day,” she said. “Now, I actually have time to eat breakfast and I pay better attention in class.”
Teachers and psychologists often agree that teenagers do not receive enough sleep; however, this perceived lack of sleep is due to multiple factors beyond start time alone. Healthy routines, time management, and regulated screen time at night make a difference in students getting the rest they need.
Dylan R. ’27 pointed out that starting school later gives students the chance to sleep in, but only if that time is managed effectively. He explains that some nights instead of going to sleep early he will be up staying late on his phone which ends up taking away precious time from sleep.
While research wholly supports the benefits of later school start times for students, such as those at Jericho High School, it is clear that a student’s individual lifestyle choices and habits play just as important a role in determining whether they can reap these benefits.