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Exploring the Evidence: 7 Comprehensive Reasons Why School Should Start Later for Enhanced Student Well-being and Academic Success

The debate on the optimal timing for school start times has gained considerable momentum, presenting compelling reasons why school should start later. This growing consensus among educators, parents, and researchers highlights the profound benefits such a shift could have on student health and academic performance.

Traditionally, schools have adhered to an early morning schedule, a routine that is increasingly viewed as misaligned with adolescent physiological rhythms and conducive to chronic sleep deprivation. This discrepancy between school schedules and the natural sleep patterns of teenagers has sparked a significant reevaluation of how educational institutions can best support the developmental and learning needs of their students.

Advocating for later start times is not merely a call for more sleep; it represents a holistic approach to enhancing the educational environment by optimizing the physical and mental well-being of students. The argument for delayed start times is supported by a wealth of research indicating improvements in various areas of student life, including academic achievement, mental health, and physical wellness.

Reasons why School should Start Later in the Morning: – Better for students sleep and attendance – Don’t need to stay up as late to do homework because you can do it in the morning — Pisha 🍉 ⪩⚢⪨ Et Le Ena Piou (@mafuanenautism)  September 30, 2022

However, transitioning to a later schedule also presents logistical challenges and potential drawbacks, such as impacts on extracurricular activities, family routines, and community infrastructure, which must be thoughtfully addressed.

This article embarks on a comprehensive examination of the subject, exploring the multifaceted benefits of starting school later, the considerations and challenges that come with such a change, and the real-world implications as evidenced by initiatives like those undertaken by the Seattle School District. Through this analysis, we aim to provide a balanced perspective on why the shift towards later school start times could represent a significant step forward in fostering environments that truly cater to the needs and potentials of our young learners.

On this page, you will discover:

• The Benefits of Starting School Later →
• The Potential Drawbacks of Starting School Later →
• The Impact of Delayed School Start Times in Seattle School District →

7 Reasons Why School Should Start Later

Wendy Troxel attributes the lack of sufficient sleep among teens not to Snapchat, social lives, or hormones, but to public policy, specifically early school start times, and shares insights from her dual perspective as a sleep researcher and a mother in a must-watch video on how this affects adolescents during a crucial stage of their lives.

Now, let’s delve into the compelling reasons why school should start later, exploring seven key factors that highlight the benefits of adjusting school schedules for the betterment of student health, engagement, and academic performance.

1. Improves Academic Performance

Adequate sleep is essential for adolescents, who are at a pivotal stage of development and learning. The evidence linking sufficient rest to improved academic outcomes is compelling, suggesting that later school start times could play a key role in enhancing students’ educational achievements.

The correlation between adequate sleep and enhanced academic performance is well-documented. Studies by organizations such as the National Sleep Foundation underscore the critical role sleep plays in cognitive functions, including memory retention, focus, and decision-making processes. Adolescents, who are in a crucial phase of brain development, particularly benefit from extended sleep, as it directly influences their ability to learn and excel academically.

A later school start time aligns with their natural sleep cycles, allowing for a more alert and engaged mindset during school hours. This alignment not only fosters an environment conducive to learning but also translates into tangible outcomes such as higher test scores and grade improvements. Consequently, the shift to later start times could serve as a strategic approach to bolster academic success, addressing educational priorities and student well-being in tandem.

Why It Is Important

• Academic success is key for future opportunities, shaping higher education and career paths.
• Enhanced performance from later start times correlates with better cognitive functions: memory, attention, and problem-solving.
• Quality sleep, aligned with circadian rhythms, leads to deeper, more restorative rest, essential for learning and memory.
• Alert, focused students are more likely to actively participate and retain information.
• Benefits individual students and contributes to a positive, productive learning environment.
• Later start times are a strategic approach to enhance educational outcomes and prepare students for success.

Discover in this video how mastering healthy sleep habits can serve as a genuine performance enhancer in the classroom, leading to better sleep and higher GPAs for students.

2. Allows Teens to Get More Sleep

The mismatch between teenagers’ biological clocks and early school schedules is a significant barrier to their health and well-being. Recognizing the critical importance of sleep for this age group underlines the need for adjustments in school start times to support their developmental needs.

Adopting later school start times harmonizes with teenagers’ biological clocks, addressing the mismatch between early school schedules and adolescents’ sleep needs. The American Academy of Sleep Medicine’s recommendations highlight the importance of adequate sleep for teenagers, a demographic often burdened by early start times and societal pressures that encroach on their sleep duration. This shift not only ensures they meet the optimal sleep quota but also enhances their overall health and cognitive function.

The benefits extend beyond the mere number of hours slept; the quality of sleep improves, fostering better mental, emotional, and physical health. This holistic improvement in well-being is crucial during adolescence, a period marked by significant growth and development challenges.

• Adequate sleep is crucial for teenagers’ physical and mental development, supporting growth, immune response, and emotional regulation.
• Recommended sleep leads to fewer behavioral issues and improved decision-making.
• Important during adolescence, a time of significant development.
• Sufficient sleep is linked to better mood regulation and reduced risk-taking.
• Schools can help teens get the necessary sleep, promoting academic success and well-being.
• Recognizes the link between physical health, mental health, and academic achievement.

Behavioral and social scientist Wendy Troxel explains how early school start times essentially cause daily jetlag for students and advocates for a change in their morning routines in a compelling video worth watching.

3. Reduces Absenteeism

Healthier students are more likely to attend school consistently, underscoring the impact of sleep on immune function and overall wellness. By adapting school schedules to allow for more sleep, educators can directly contribute to reducing absenteeism and enhancing the learning environment.

Later school start times contribute to a healthier student body, which directly impacts attendance rates. Sleep deprivation compromises the immune system, making students more susceptible to illness and, consequently, more likely to miss school. By ensuring that students get sufficient rest, schools can see a reduction in absenteeism.

This not only benefits students’ academic performance and continuity of learning but also contributes to a more vibrant, participatory school environment. Improved health outcomes due to adequate sleep thus serve as a preventive measure against common ailments, ensuring that students remain present and engaged in their educational journey.

• Regular attendance is essential for continuous learning and success.
• Each missed day is a lost opportunity for learning and interaction.
• Absenteeism creates knowledge gaps, affecting confidence and curriculum engagement.
• Reducing absenteeism with later start times ensures full participation in education.
• Improves academic outcomes, social integration, and school connectedness.
• Alleviates administrative and teaching challenges, leading to a more efficient educational process.

Matt Pearl explores how what seems like a harmless day off can quickly escalate into habitual truancy, and highlights one school district’s innovative plan to combat this issue and refill empty seats in a must-see video.

4. Lowers Risk of Depression and Mental Health Issues

The crucial relationship between sleep and mental health, particularly in adolescents, cannot be overstated. Addressing sleep deprivation through later school start times is a preventative measure that could significantly improve students’ mental health outcomes.

The interplay between sleep and mental health is critical, especially during the volatile adolescent years. Inadequate sleep has been consistently linked to increased risks of depression, anxiety, and other mental health issues. By shifting school start times later, students are afforded the opportunity to align their sleep schedules with their biological needs, significantly mitigating these risks.

This preventive approach to mental health is of paramount importance, considering the rising incidence of mental health challenges among teenagers. Providing an environment that supports adequate sleep can be a fundamental strategy in promoting mental well-being, offering a buffer against the stressors and challenges of adolescence.

• Mental health’s critical role in students’ well-being and success is undeniable, with adolescence being a particularly vulnerable period for the onset of issues like depression and anxiety. Sleep deprivation significantly exacerbates these conditions.
• Ensuring adequate sleep is foundational for robust mental health, enabling students to better manage stress and the myriad challenges of adolescence with greater resilience.
• Schools that implement later start times contribute to a proactive approach to mental health care, leading to a noticeable reduction in the incidence and severity of mental health issues among students.
• This initiative fosters a supportive educational environment where every aspect of student well-being is nurtured, promoting a healthy school climate conducive to learning and growth.

William Brangham delves into why many teens struggle to get the recommended eight to ten hours of sleep, the prevalence of insomnia among them, and the significant impact on their mental health in this insightful video.

Delve into the critical role of mental health in educational success with “ 8 Reasons Why Students Should Have Mental Health Days: A Research-Based Analysis ” offering evidence-based arguments for the integration of mental health days into school policies to enhance student well-being and academic performance.

5. Reduces Drowsy Driving in Teens

With the initiation of driving coinciding with the teenage years, the risk of drowsy driving becomes a pressing concern. Adjusting school start times to ensure teenagers get enough sleep could be a critical step in enhancing road safety and reducing accidents.

Teenage years coincide with the commencement of driving for many, introducing risks associated with drowsy driving. The CDC has identified sleep deprivation as a key factor in teen driving accidents. By enabling teens to align their sleep schedules with natural rhythms through later school start times, the incidence of drowsy driving can be significantly reduced.

This has the dual benefit of enhancing individual safety and contributing to broader public safety outcomes. Preventing accidents through such measures not only saves lives but also fosters a culture of responsible driving habits among young individuals.

• The safety of teenage drivers is a paramount concern, with drowsy driving posing a significant risk not just to the drivers but to the community at large. The alertness of drivers is crucial and is directly influenced by the amount of sleep they have received.
• By pushing school start times later, we can mitigate the risk of accidents caused by sleep deprivation, significantly enhancing public safety and specifically safeguarding teenage drivers, who are often less experienced and more vulnerable on the road.
• This measure not only prioritizes the health and safety of students but also contributes to the broader goal of ensuring safer roads and communities.

Explore the findings of a new study on teen drivers and the risks of drowsy driving in this informative video recommended for viewing.

6. Helps Teens Feel Happier

Sleep deprivation negatively impacts adolescents’ mood and overall happiness. Schools that adopt later start times can help align students’ schedules with their natural sleep patterns, fostering improved well-being and a more positive school experience.

Aligning school schedules with teenagers’ natural sleep cycles can significantly enhance their overall happiness and well-being. The dissonance between early school start times and adolescents’ biological predisposition for later sleep and wake patterns can lead to chronic sleep deprivation , affecting mood and well-being.

By adopting later start times, schools can help rectify this misalignment, allowing students to adhere to a more natural sleep schedule. This adjustment can lead to improved mood, greater resilience, and a more positive outlook on life, which are crucial for healthy adolescent development and academic success.

• The well-being and happiness of students are essential for their active engagement and enjoyment of their educational journey. Students who are well-rested show a marked increase in engagement, curiosity, and motivation.
• By aligning school start times with teens’ natural sleep cycles, there’s a significant improvement in students’ overall mood and outlook on life, which in turn enhances their social relationships and reduces conflict.
• This positive adjustment has been linked to not only a more vibrant school environment but also to tangible improvements in academic performance, demonstrating the deep interconnectedness between emotional well-being and educational outcomes.

Discover how a high school in Dedham, Massachusetts is combating student feelings of hopelessness with an innovative course on finding happiness through savoring experiences and fostering relationships in this inspiring video.

7. Reduced Stress

The stress induced by early mornings and lack of sleep can significantly affect students’ academic and social lives. By moving the start of the school day later, schools can alleviate a major source of daily stress, contributing to a healthier, more conducive learning environment.

The impact of sleep on stress levels cannot be overstated. Starting school later can significantly reduce the morning rush, a source of daily stress for many students. This reduction in stress can have a domino effect on various aspects of students’ lives, including their academic performance, social interactions, and overall mental health.

By mitigating one of the many stressors in students’ lives, schools can create a more supportive and productive learning environment. The benefits of such a change extend beyond the individual, positively affecting the school culture and community at large.

• Stress stands as a formidable barrier to both learning and mental health, with its ability to impair cognitive function and negatively affect academic performance. The rush and pressure of early mornings contribute significantly to students’ stress levels.
• Adopting a later start to the school day offers students a schedule that is more in sync with their natural sleep patterns, effectively reducing morning stress and allowing for a calmer, more focused start to their academic activities.
• This reduction in stress is beneficial not only for students’ academic performance but also for their mental and physical health, contributing to a more positive, supportive, and productive educational environment.

Discover why starting school later could help teens get the more sleep they need and improve their lives in various ways in this video, addressing common concerns about sleep needs for younger people.

Discover “ 7 Research-Based Reasons Why Students Should Not Have Homework: Academic Insights, Opposing Perspectives & Alternatives ” for a comprehensive analysis of the homework debate, presenting alternative strategies to improve student learning.

The Potential Drawbacks of Starting School Later

1. scheduling sports and extracurriculars becomes more difficult.

The integration of later school start times presents a unique set of challenges for the scheduling of sports and extracurricular activities, which are vital components of a student’s holistic development. The shift could potentially disrupt the delicate balance between academic commitments and extracurricular engagement, affecting students’ ability to participate in these valuable experiences.

One potential drawback of starting school later is the complication it introduces to scheduling sports and extracurricular activities. Many students are actively involved in after-school programs, including sports teams, clubs, and other organizations that play a significant role in their development. This presents a clear argument for why school should not start later, as it could lead to conflicts with extracurricular activities that depend on fixed schedules. This can result in logistical challenges for both students and program coordinators, potentially causing students to miss out on opportunities that contribute to their growth beyond academics.

In response to this challenge, schools and communities can adapt by rethinking and possibly reinventing the scheduling and structure of extracurricular activities. Flexibility in planning, such as holding some activities in the morning or making more efficient use of weekends, can ensure students continue to benefit from these programs. Moreover, a later start time might actually enhance student participation and performance in extracurriculars, as students would be better rested and more focused, potentially leading to a richer extracurricular experience.

2. Increases Childcare Costs and Logistical Challenges for Working Parents

Transitioning to later school start times poses significant logistical and financial challenges for working parents, necessitating adjustments in childcare arrangements and potentially disrupting daily routines. This change can introduce added stress and financial burden on families, complicating the work-life balance that is crucial for the well-being of both parents and students.

The shift to later school start times can increase childcare costs and create logistical challenges for working parents. Parents may find themselves needing to arrange for additional morning care or adjust their work schedules to accommodate the change. This can add financial strain and complicate the balance between work and family life, creating stress and potentially impacting the overall well-being of families.

However, the community and employers can play a crucial role in easing this transition. Workplaces could offer more flexible working hours or remote work options to accommodate the needs of parents. Additionally, schools and community organizations might develop affordable before-school programs to support families. This approach not only addresses the logistical and financial concerns but also fosters a community-centric solution that benefits both students and their families.

3. May Make After-School Jobs and Activities More Difficult

Adjusting school hours to start later in the day could inadvertently impact students’ ability to engage in after-school jobs and activities, critical for their personal development and financial support. This shift may limit the time available for such commitments, posing challenges for students who depend on the afternoon and early evening hours for work and extracurricular participation.

For students who rely on after-school jobs for income or participate in non-school activities, a later dismissal time can significantly reduce the available hours for work and other commitments. This could affect their ability to support themselves or their families financially and limit their engagement in valuable community or personal development activities.

On the flip side, a later start time can lead to more alert and productive students, potentially making them more efficient in balancing work, activities, and school responsibilities. Schools and local businesses could collaborate to offer flexible working arrangements for students, recognizing the mutual benefits of supporting adolescent development while maintaining their contribution to the workforce and community engagement.

4. Reduces Time for Homework and Family Activities

A later dismissal time from school may compress the window available for homework, relaxation, and family time, essential components of a student’s well-being and academic success. This reduction in available time during the evening can increase stress and limit opportunities for meaningful family interaction and adequate academic preparation.

With a later end to the school day, students might find themselves with less time for homework, relaxation, and family activities in the evening. This compression of non-school hours could lead to increased stress, less downtime, and diminished family interaction, which are all important for a student’s well-being and academic success. Uncover persuasive reasons against adopting year-round schooling in “ Comprehensive Analysis: 8 Strong Reasons Why School Should Not Be Year-Round ” highlighting its possible effects on both students and educators.

This challenge necessitates a more efficient approach to homework and after-school time management, potentially encouraging schools to reassess the volume and nature of homework assigned. With strategic planning and support, students can learn to manage their time effectively, ensuring they have sufficient opportunities for both academic responsibilities and family engagement. Additionally, the quality of family time can improve when students are less stressed and more rested, making the time spent together more meaningful.

The Impact of Delayed School Start Times in Seattle School District

In the 2016-2017 academic year, the Seattle School District embarked on a pioneering initiative to address the chronic sleep deprivation affecting its secondary school students. Recognizing the mounting evidence on the importance of adequate sleep for adolescents’ physical, and mental health, and academic performance, the district made a decisive move to delay the start times of its secondary schools from 7:50 am to 8:45 am. This change was aimed at aligning school schedules more closely with students’ biological sleep needs, thereby enhancing their overall well-being and academic outcomes.

Researchers from the University of Washington seized this opportunity to conduct a comprehensive study, both before and after the implementation of the new start times. Their research included students from two public high schools in Seattle, providing a valuable case study on the impacts of such policy changes.

The findings, published in Science Advances, revealed significant benefits stemming from the later start times. On average, students gained an additional 34 minutes of sleep per night, increasing their total nightly sleep from six hours and 50 minutes to seven hours and 24 minutes. This increase brought students closer to achieving the recommended sleep amount and marked a reversal in the century-long trend of gradual sleep loss among adolescents.

The benefits of this policy change extended beyond just improved sleep duration:

• Improved Sleep Duration: The policy change led to longer sleep times for students.
• Enhanced Academic Performance: Observations showed a significant increase in students’ academic achievements.
• Increased Punctuality and Attendance: Notably higher rates of on-time arrivals and attendance, especially in economically disadvantaged schools.
• Narrowing Socioeconomic Learning Gap: The change suggests the potential to reduce disparities in educational outcomes between low and high socioeconomic groups.
• Reduced Daytime Sleepiness: Students experienced less sleepiness during the day, indicating better sleep quality and its positive effect on daily engagement and functioning.

Dr. Tara Narula reports on a Seattle school district that transitioned to a later start time, showcasing the positive outcomes of the study, making it a highly recommended video to watch for insights on the impact of such changes.

Despite the success observed in Seattle, such shifts in school start times remain relatively rare across the United States, where the typical start time still hovers around 8 a.m. However, the Seattle School District’s experience stands as a compelling testament to the benefits of later start times, supported by the American Academy of Pediatrics’ advocacy for this change as an effective countermeasure to the widespread issue of sleep deprivation among teenagers.

The Seattle School District’s initiative demonstrates a proactive approach to student health and education, providing valuable insights and evidence for other districts contemplating similar adjustments. By prioritizing the sleep needs of students, the district not only improved their academic and health outcomes but also set a precedent for the importance of aligning educational policies with scientific research on adolescent well-being.

Useful Resources

• Time Management Activities For High School Students
• Daily Routine For Students: Recommendations And Techniques
• How to Reduce Student Stress and Excel in School

Final Thoughts

The conversation surrounding delayed school start times is complex, yet the evidence, especially from the Seattle School District, provides clear reasons why school should start later, highlighting the potential for significant positive changes in student well-being and academic success. As education stakeholders consider the future of school schedules, balancing the advantages with logistical concerns will be crucial. Ultimately, the goal is to create educational environments that best support the development and achievement of every student.

• How Would Later School Start Times Affect Sleep?
• Sleep is key to help teens recharge for success this school year
• 4 Benefits of Later School Start Times
• Teenagers and sleep
• Drowsy Driving: Asleep at the Wheel
• School Start Times for Adolescents
• Later School Start Times More Popular, But What Are the Drawbacks?
• Students can benefit from starting school later – study
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Simona Johnes is the visionary being the creation of our project. Johnes spent much of her career in the classroom working with students. And, after many years in the classroom, Johnes became a principal.

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Teens Need to Start School Later. No More Excuses, Experts Say 

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Perhaps no one dreads setting their alarm clocks to rise for the start of the new school year more than teenagers.

The nation’s average public high school start time is 8:07 a.m.; nearly 10 percent begin before 7:30 a.m. Either start time likely requires teens to rise by at least 7:00 am—a time identified by health experts as part of adolescents’ peak sleepy hours. That’s thanks largely to a natural change in teens’ circadian rhythm—the “ sleep-wake phase delay ”—which results in later sleep onset and wake times. The result is a significant mismatch between this demographic’s preferred sleep time and social demands: namely, school.

This is not breaking news. In 2014, the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) issued a policy statement recommending that school districts push start times to 8:30 a.m. or later for middle and high schools in an effort to help adolescents achieve the recommended eight-and-a-half to 10 hours of sleep per night—a goal that approximately three-quarters of teenage students fall short of on school nights.

Chronic sleep deprivation is bad for teens. It’s been linked to a number of physical and mental health risks, lowered academic performance, and overall poorer quality of life. And while plenty of factors contribute to teens’ insufficient sleep, researchers have pinpointed early school start times as a key, and modifiable, contributor to the problem. But despite the well-documented and publicized research in favor of later school start times for adolescents and teens, countless districts resist the change—often citing barriers such as existing bus and sports schedules and before- and after-school daycare disruptions for younger students.

Challenging the status quo

Phyllis Payne, a public health educator and advocate for healthy sleep among teens, has heard all of these excuses and more.

Some of them stand out for their seeming absurdity. “School officials have told us, ‘We have too many waterways’ and ‘Our schools are at too many altitudes,’’ said Payne, implementation director at Start School Later , a nonprofit organization that has helped hundreds of school districts nationwide change to later start times. “I tell them it can be done.”

Payne should know. As a co-founder of the advocacy group SLEEP in Fairfax, Va., Payne supported Fairfax County school system, one of the nation’s largest districts, as it undertook the initiative to move its high school start times about an hour later, to either 8:00 or 8:10 am. Even with 1,600 buses transporting about 170,000 students to 200 different schools, the district made the change effective for the 2015-2016 academic year.

“The real challenge is that it’s different than what people are used to doing,” Payne said, referring to later start times. Overcoming resistance to change is often the first step in making it happen. Beyond that, there’s no single ‘magic bullet’ to moving to a later start time, she explained. But, say those who’ve been involved in the transition, the following factors are key.

Leadership buy-in

“When superintendents set it up [schedule change] as a must-have for the teens in the community, then their teams come together,” Payne said.

Convincing superintendents that it’s a priority is simple once they take the time to learn about the science behind it, Payne explained. Simply taking a glimpse at the AAP’s long, curated list of adverse effects of chronic sleep loss in adolescents is fairly convincing, which includes increased rates of motor vehicle crashes; increased risk for anxiety, depression, suicidal ideation; cognitive deficits, especially with more complex tasks; and lower academic achievement.

“Once they become aware of how important this is they’ll want to get this done,” she said.

Thinking holistically

Anne Arundel County, Md., schools, with 85,000 students, discussed for years the possibility of moving to a later start time for high school students, said spokesperson Bob Mosier.

That discussion evolved over the years from one that focused exclusively on high school start times to one that instead referenced what they began to term “healthier school start and dismissal times.”

“You can’t just pick up and change your high school times in isolation,” said Mosier, whose district in 2022-2023 instituted a new high school start time of 8:30 a.m., about an hour later than previous years. Every division is affected, as evidenced by his district’s need to ramp up after-school child care offerings to families with younger children once the new schedule was put in place.

With the previous, earlier high school dismissal time, high school students could be available to babysit younger siblings. In some instances, parents’ work schedules had to shift to accommodate the schedule changes.

“We had plenty of families who needed child care after the change who hadn’t before,” Mosier said.

To help address the issue, the district organized and held a childcare fair for parents.

Payne acknowledged similarly detailed planning in supporting Fairfax County’s move to later high school start times. “We examined all kinds of minutia,” said Payne. It involved everything from analyzing traffic patterns to involving the local police department to plan for changes to crossing guard schedules.

Strong communication

Working through the details of a forthcoming schedule change is part of the solution. Communicating these details to stakeholders is as critical, Mosier explained. Anne Arundel County schools spent months preparing families for the pending change. They used multiple avenues of messaging: phone, email, text, and websites in both English and Spanish that explained the pending schedule change, why it was happening, and how families would be affected. In addition, each of the district’s board members created a short video explaining the rationale behind the new start time and invoking the sleep science supporting it.

“Everyone knew it was happening,” Mosier said. “No one was surprised.”

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student opinion

Should Your School Day Start Later?

If it did, would students get more sleep? Or would they just stay up later?

By Shannon Doyne

Find all our Student Opinion questions here.

Do you get enough sleep during the school year? If not, what keeps you from being well rested?

Do you wish your school day started later? In your opinion, what would be the advantages and drawbacks of a later start time?

In “ California Tells Schools to Start Later, Giving Teenagers More Sleep, ” Christine Hauser and Isabella Kwai write about a new California law that pushes back start times at most public middle and high schools. The law cites research that says attendance and performance will improve if teenagers get more sleep. The article states:

The passage of the law followed years of mounting calls for later school start times from sleep experts who said such a move would optimize learning, reduce tardiness and contribute to overall well-being. The law encourages districts to publish research on their websites about the impact of sleep deprivation on adolescents. A frequently cited policy statement from the American Academy of Pediatrics, made in 2014, called insufficient sleep for adolescents a “public health issue” and recommended that most schools start no earlier than 8:30 a.m. The American Academy of Sleep Medicine agreed. In one 2006 poll from the National Sleep Foundation, 45 percent of adolescents in the United States said they slept for an insufficient length of time on school nights, and 19 percent of students said they fell asleep in school at least once a week. Another study, published in 2017 by the University of Minnesota, which surveyed 9,000 students across five school districts with varying start times, found that those who started school later slept more. Students who had more sleep reported better mental health outcomes and less use of substances like alcohol and cigarettes. Students who slept more also had improved attendance and enrollment rates, and they were less likely to drive while drowsy. About 90 percent of high schools and 80 percent of middle schools in the nation start before 8:30 a.m., the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said in 2014.

Students, read the entire article, then tell us:

Do you feel like you get enough sleep?

What would be your ideal time to start the school day? What about to end the school day? Why?

How would changing your school’s start and end times affect activities like sports, clubs and part-time jobs?

Anthony J. Portantino, a Democratic state senator who wrote the bill, calls later start times for schools a “magic bullet” when it comes to education. What are your thoughts on this? Can later start times really improve things like test scores, attendance and graduation rates? Explain.

Students 13 and older are invited to comment. All comments are moderated by the Learning Network staff, but please keep in mind that once your comment is accepted, it will be made public.

Why school should start later for teens

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• personal growth

Why both teens and teachers could benefit from later school start times

Lecturer in Science Education, Sussex School of Education and Social Work, University of Sussex

Disclosure statement

James Williams does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.

University of Sussex provides funding as a member of The Conversation UK.

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A typical school day in the UK starts around 8.30am. This is often even earlier elsewhere in the world, with students sitting down to their first lesson at 7.30am in the US.

But these early start times can play havoc with teenager’s natural sleeping patterns – with research showing that waking a teenager at seven in the morning for school is similar to waking an adult at four in the morning . And while many adults wouldn’t relish such an early alarm call every working day, it’s a “non-negotiable” expectation for teenagers.

The average teenager ideally needs eight to nine hours’ sleep each night, but in reality a lot of teenagers struggle to get this much – which can then impact their performance in the classroom.

A lot of the problems arise because our sleep patterns are not fixed, and they change as we grow . For teenagers, melatonin – the sleep hormone – doesn’t start being produced until 11pm. This is why teens don’t start feeling sleepy until late at night, and why simply telling a teenager to go to bed earlier doesn’t work.

This has led to calls for later school start times for teenagers to align more closely with their bodies’ biology.

What the research shows

A major study published in 2014 examined the impact of later start times on 9,000 US teenagers. Researchers found that:

Grades earned in core subject areas of math, English, science and social studies, plus performance on state and national achievement tests, attendance rates and reduced tardiness show significantly positive improvement with the later start times.

They also found that with less sleep than recommended, the students reported that they had:

Significantly higher depression symptoms, greater use of caffeine, and are at greater risk of making poor choices for substance use.

In the US – where teenagers can legally drive from the age of 16 – the research also found later start times led to a decrease in car accidents involving teenage drivers.

Why teenagers sleep differently

To understand why a later school start time can make such a difference to teenagers’ lives, we need to take a look at the biology that governs their sleep wake cycle.

We all have a sort of hardwired “clock” in the brain – this is often referred to as our body clock. This “clock” controls the production of the hormone melatonin, and in turn, melatonin controls sleep. Melatonin is naturally produced in the brain and starts the process of sleepiness by telling your body that it’s time for bed.

Once asleep, we normally go through five sleep stages a night. And one of the stages – the REM (Rapid Eye Movement) stage – varies significantly with age.

REM sleep is linked to learning, and it’s during REM sleep that we dream. It is characterised by quick, random movements of the eyes and paralysis of the muscles. REM sleep normally makes up around 20-25% of an adult human’s total time spent asleep – or 90 to 120 minutes. We get to REM sleep about 70 to 90 minutes after falling asleep. And if we don’t achieve REM sleep, we wake up feeling tired.

Studies have also shown that lack of REM sleep can impact our ability to learn . And this is what happens to teenagers who do not get their full allocation of sleep. They fail to get to REM sleep and then wake up feeling tired, which can then impact their ability in the classroom that day.

The benefits for late starters

So a later school start time could help to solve this problem, by ensuring teenagers get their eight plus hours of sleep and react properly to their body’s natural rhythms.

The American Academy of Pediatrics , said in a policy statement in 2014 that:

Delaying school start times is an effective countermeasure to chronic sleep loss and has a wide range of potential benefits to students with regard to physical and mental health, safety, and academic achievement.

I believe we should also look again at the timing of the whole school day and see if we can make it better for everyone. Because in my experience, there has been a general shift over the past 25 years to shorten the school day.

This is not at the cost of teaching time (which has remained constant) but at the cost of natural breaks, which has led to reduced lunch times and lesson breaks.

This is mainly because it makes the management of children easier. Supervising hundreds of children “playing” requires effective staffing. And there is always the fear that behaviour deteriorates during breaks. So the theory goes that having them in class and strictly supervised must be better.

But this means that students barely have enough time to absorb what they were doing in maths before suddenly they are thrust into ancient history. And teaching staff also transition from one class to another, with hardly a rest or time to refocus.

Clearly rethinking the school day could benefit everyone involved. Yes, there may be challenges in terms of parental work patterns, transport to school or changing childcare arrangements, but it could also lead to better achievement in teenagers and less of a struggle for parents in the mornings. For teachers, it could also mean a less stressful day all around – and what could be better than that?

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Let’s learn about why schools should start later.

Most U.S. high schools start before 8:30 a.m. — too early, according to experts

When school times start later, teens tend to feel better and do better in school.

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By Maria Temming

January 17, 2023 at 6:30 am

One of the hardest things about going back to school after a break is waking up for it. And unfortunately, many schools start too early, according to scientific experts.

The American Academy of Pediatrics says that middle and high schools shouldn’t start before 8:30 a.m. That’s because as people go through puberty, their internal clocks naturally shift . It becomes hard for them to nod off before 11:00 p.m. But teens still need an average of nine hours of sleep per night. So, when they have to get up before the sun peeks over the horizon, they miss out on crucial shut-eye.

Dozing in class is only the most visible of problems cause by this lack of sleep. That sleep now lost to early alarm clocks is vital for helping the body grow and heal from illness or injuries. The brain also loses out on time to process memories. Sleepy teens are more likely to feel anxious or depressed, as well as use drugs or alcohol. And sleeping in on weekends is no replacement for lost zzz’s during the week. Binge-sleeping poses its own health risks .

Some schools have shifted their start times to later in the morning. Researchers are now tracking the impacts. It seems that teens who start school later do get more sleep. They’re more likely to get to class on time and stay awake during the day. They even seem to do better in school .

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Want to know more? We’ve got some stories to get you started:

Starting schools later leads to less tardiness, fewer ‘zombies’ With extra sleep, teens are less likely to oversleep or feel tired every day, data show. (10/5/2021) Readability: 6.9

Later school starts linked to better teen grades Low-income students also may find it easier to get to school with later start times. (2/5/2019) Readability: 6.7

Survey finds U.S. schools start ‘too early ’ Majority of U.S. public middle and high schools start before 8:30 a.m. (9/10/2015) Readability: 6.0

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The steady creep of less sleep

Study links weight to when the school bell rings

Early school starts can turn teens into ‘zombies’

Surprise! Exam scores benefit from months of regular sleep

You may not be able to control when your school starts. But you can try to get the most shuteye — and the most out of it — possible. Find out how healthy your sleep schedule is by  keeping a sleep diary . Track when you wake up and go to bed, as well as daytime activities that can affect sleep — such as exercise, drinking caffeine and napping. This can help you find out whether any part of your daily routine might be making it harder to get enough sleep. Plus, check out these  tips for improving your “sleep hygiene.”

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Why School Should Start Later in the Morning

The CDC weighs in: Early class times are taking a toll on adolescents ’ health and academic performance.

For the first time, the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is urging education policymakers to start middle- and high-school classes later in the morning. The idea is to improve the odds of adolescents getting sufficient sleep so they can thrive both physically and academically.

The CDC’s recommendations come a year after the American Academy of Pediatrics urged schools to adjust start times so more kids would get the recommended 8.5 to 9.5 hours of nightly rest. Both the CDC and the pediatricians’ group cited significant risks that come with lack of sleep, including higher rates of obesity and depression and motor-vehicle accidents among teens as well as an overall lower quality of life.

“Getting enough sleep is important for students’ health, safety, and academic performance,” Anne Wheaton, the lead author and epidemiologist in the CDC’s Division of Population Health, said in a statement . “Early school start times, however, are preventing many adolescents from getting the sleep they need.”

In more than 40 states, at least 75 percent of public schools start earlier than 8:30 a.m., according to the CDC’s report. And while later start times won’t replace other important interventions—like parents making sure their children get enough rest—schools clearly play an important role in students’ daily schedules, the report concluded.

While the federal recommendation is making headlines, the data on the potential risks of chronically tired adolescents isn’t new information. Indeed, the research has been accumulating steadily for years, including some recent large-scale studies.

As the Minneapolis Star-Tribune reported in April, the University of Minnesota’s Center for Applied Research and Educational Improvement “finally put to rest the long-standing question of whether later start times correlate to increased academic performance for high-school students”:

Researchers analyzed data from more than 9,000 students at eight high schools in Minnesota, Colorado, and Wyoming and found that shifting the school day later in the morning resulted in a boost in attendance, test scores, and grades in math, English, science, and social studies. Schools also saw a decrease in tardiness, substance abuse, and symptoms of depression. Some even had a dramatic drop in teen car crashes.

Here’s what the research shows: Adolescents’ “internal clocks”—the circadian rhythms that control a human’s responses to stimuli and determine sleep patterns—operate differently than those of other age groups. It’s typically more difficult for adolescents to fall asleep earlier in the evening than it is for other age demographics. And while teenagers are going to bed later, their school start times are often becoming earlier as they advance through middle and high school.

In a landmark study  in 1998 of adolescent sleeping habits, the Brown University researcher Mary Carskadon followed 10th-graders who were making the switch to a 7:20 a.m. start time, about an hour earlier than their schedule as ninth-graders. Despite the new schedule, the students went to bed at about the same time as they did the year before: 10:40 p.m. on average.

Carskadon’s team found that students showed up for morning classes seriously sleep-deprived and that the 7:20 a.m. start time required them to be awake during hours that ran contrary to their internal clocks. Fewer than half of the 10th-graders averaged even seven hours of sleep each night, which is already below the recommended amount. Indeed, Carskadon’s team concluded the students bordered on “pathologically sleepy.”

So, if the science is so strong, what’s getting in the way of changing the policy?

Carskadon, a professor of psychiatry and human behavior, notes that passionate arguments abound on both sides of the debate—just about all of which she’s heard over the years. In some districts, the start times are largely dictated by local transportation companies, with school boards and superintendents contending they lack the funds or authority to change things. Meanwhile, parents are often reluctant to have teens start later, whether because they rely on having older children at home in the afternoons to take care of younger siblings or because they’re concerned that it will interfere with extracurricular opportunities. Indeed, there’s always a vocal chorus warning that later start times will hurt high-school sports.

But none of those worries override the reality that, as Carskadon put it, “everybody learns better when they’re awake.”

Implementing later start times can be feasible without causing major disruptions, as many school districts have demonstrated, Carskadon said. But it requires that all stakeholders commit to what’s often a time-consuming process of finding creative solutions, which, she added, isn’t always easy.

The medical writer and mother of three Terra Ziporyn Snider, who’s emerged as a national advocate for later start times, also cited widespread challenges hindering schools from making the switch. Getting school systems to change takes more than just presenting scientific evidence, said Snider, the co-founder and executive director of the nonprofit advocacy group Start School Later . The organization deploys volunteers to communities that are considering later school start times to bolster grassroots efforts.

“Social norms are at the root of this problem—most people don’t take [adolescent sleep deprivation] seriously and don’t see it as a public-health issue,” Snider said. “That kind of thinking has to change.”

One of the problems facing advocates of later school start times is that the people sympathetic to their cause seldom have the authority to reset the academic clock, Snider said. Parents typically only care about the issue when it affects their own families’ schedules, she said. That means roughly every four years the key players are replaced, and the grassroots efforts have to start from scratch.

“You start talking about changing start times, and people immediately jump to [all kinds of conclusions]. Teens will miss out on sports. L ittle kids will go to school in the dark and get run over by a car. What will happen to my child care? ” Snider said. “A lot of these fears and speculations turn out to be red herrings. The real obstacles are failure of imagination.”

Snider is hopeful that the policy pressures are reaching a tipping point, though, with the help of major voices like the CDC weighing in.

“It’s becoming increasingly embarrassing to say, ‘If we start school later, what happens to my kid’s three-hour soccer practice?’” Snider said. “We have to convince school systems this has to happen for the health of kids. It’s not a negotiable school budget item—it’s an absolute requirement.”

This post appears courtesy of the Education Writers Association.

May 24, 2023

High School Students Need More Sleep and Later School Start Times

After reading a Scientific American editorial on sleep and school start times, students and their teacher wrote to the editors about their experiences. Their district listened, and school will start later next year

By Thomas Franich , Christina Cardiel , Alia Carson , Marcos Martinez , Kian Mendoza , Sakari Morris & Christian Ramirez Acabal

Willie B. Thomas/Getty Images

In February, while going to the library to check out a manga comic one of my students recommended, I (Thomas Franich) grabbed a copy (as I always do) of Scientific American and read the February editorial “ Let Teenagers Sleep .” The editors advocated for delaying school start times based on overwhelming evidence that teens are biologically driven to go to bed later and wake up later than other age groups. The editors pushed for that change because later start times were linked to students’ well-being and possible improvements in academic performance .

I was excited to hear others endorsing what I’ve argued for more than a decade, because, as a high school teacher, I know this is an issue that is important to my students. They are people who rarely (if ever) have input on the policies that shape their everyday lives.

This is why I gave the piece to the students in my physics and biology classes and asked them to read it and compare the claims to their experiences. We had a highly engaging conversation about the subject, and so I asked them to write letters to the editors at SciAm to share their thoughts.

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What they wrote was illuminating.

I learned that my students are exhausted from the moment they get up in the morning, around 6:00 A.M. on average, until the moment they finally go to sleep, many at about 1:00 A.M. the next day. They told me that they can’t fall asleep for hours, even though they feel foggy, leaden and tired. But, a few days later, we had a two-hour snow delay. My students got to sleep in. Later in class, they told me they felt refreshed, alert and aware, and they attributed the change to getting more sleep. I noticed changes too. They were more attentive, more engaged and more connected. Ancient as I am to them at 37, even I struggle to get up on time, so if every day was as on point as that one, I’m sure my students would integrate new knowledge far better than they do now. 

We need data-driven school schedules, not just at Sandia High School, but throughout the Albuquerque public school district. And, luckily for our students, our district is listening. Sandia students, who have started school at 7:25 A.M. for many years will start next year at 8:40 A.M. The rest of the district’s high schools will also start later, meaning the 23,000 high schoolers in our district will get the extra rest their bodies require.

In general, the students are energized by this announcement. They are highly motivated academically, and they think they’ll earn better grades. They think they’ll be more “chill” next year. Most importantly, they think they will learn better and retain more knowledge. Some are apprehensive about how their extracurriculars will be affected or how their employers will adjust their after-school schedules. A few students are concerned about how their families will adjust to the new schedule because they have siblings who start school at a different time. Yet, while there are nuances to settle, I agree with our superintendent who wrote in a letter to our community: “In a year or in three … there won’t be a push to go back to earlier start times for our … students.” My students are hopeful for a better future, and I’m eager to see how the data from our schools will change in the next few years. Public policy should be informed with scientific data whenever possible and even though this is decades late, I am so happy that our students' dreams are finally becoming reality.

But don’t take it from me. Here is what a few of my students have to say on sleep, school start times and student life:

Christina Cardiel, 9th grade:

Next year with the school time pushback, I truly believe students will be able to get enough sleep, which is one of the most important times for the body to grow and repair. Even with the new school start time, though, parents could let their kids take a 30-minute nap after school to reenergize and make up for the sleep they may have missed during the night. I’m glad that a decent time was set, so parents can still pick up and drop kids off while still being able to go to work. I think a school day of 8:40 A.M. to 3:40 P.M. is perfect to be able to function and learn throughout the school day and with an early enough ending time to do homework and rest—even with after-school activities.

Alia Carson, 9th grade:

If you’re walking through the hallways of my high school on a typical day, you will almost certainly hear pained mutterings of “I’m tired,” again and again. On an average day, many students have difficulty concentrating in early morning classes, and tend not to absorb the information we will later be tested on. When school start time was delayed an hour or two by weather a few months ago, my peers and I felt much more engaged and attentive. Although a relatively small shift in schedule, this hour could have far-reaching benefits . My own school district has just adopted a delayed start time for the new school year. Hopefully, this can serve as an example to other districts that this change is both possible and desirable. Perhaps being more stentorian about the issues discussed in “Let Teenagers Sleep” and explaining them unambiguously with data-supported urgency to politicians (who tend to bring up issues such as suicide, obesity and low test scores in campaign speeches) will drive policy supporting a healthier school schedule.

Marcos Martinez, 11th grade:

I believe the idea that giving teenagers more time to sleep, and the data supporting it, is an important step in bettering our education system. I hope that other school districts realize the significance of rest, so that my classmates and I and future generations may lead healthier and happier lives through our teen years. I find myself relieved that my future schedule will allow me to sleep in a little more, and I am not as worried about having to constantly learn while the only thing on my mind is sleep. I was happy to do Mr. Franich’s assignment and write the letter to Scientific American, and I am proud to have a teacher who cares for me and my friends’ mental health. Sometimes trying to make change can be daunting, especially when it comes to policies and procedures made by adults. By having an adult show me how I can make change gives me hope and a newfound passion to make my world better.

Kian Mendoza, 11th grade:

After so many years of research and evidence, it is clear we not only deserve, but need change. I have struggled with a severe lack of sleep throughout middle school and high school, and I've observed many of my peers, day after day, talk about how tired they are and how they only slept for so few hours. Not only has lack of sleep affected my mood and alertness at school, but I believe it has affected my academic performance. When I started having sleep problems in middle school, I started experiencing trouble with forgetfulness, depression, and my grades slowly began to decline. This has continued into high school, despite my, my doctor’s and my therapist’s best efforts. Most teens do not party every night or stay up late despite stereotypes. This is not about politics, it's about teenage health. Our district policy has changed our start time from 7:25 A.M. to around 8:40 A.M. for high school. For a long time, because of bus driver issues, high school had to start earlier, but why can we not have elementary school start times be earlier? Younger children’s natural sleep cycle is earlier than most teens. Our school board members and I acknowledge that this change will affect many ways in which our school system runs, but it should overall benefit the mental and physical health for teens and teachers and push our students an extra step towards a more effective education. I’d like to see this change be national, so that all American youth can have this opportunity for a healthier life and future.

Sakari Morris, 11th grade:

When I get more sleep I have more energy and more than usual, I want to do my schoolwork. I also am in a way better mood and sleep better the next night, too. When we recently had a two-hour snow delay, there was a better atmosphere in classes and in the hallways, plus everyone was doing their work and paying more attention in class. I am looking forward to the next school year because I think it'll be a lot better for us to start at 8:40 A.M. I also think attendance is going to be better because people won’t be as late or skip first period as much. I feel really proud about my advocacy for later start times because I feel like I’m doing something different for my junior year and that I'll be part of something that might make a difference. It’s also cool because I feel like I can voice my opinion and it will be listened to and it won't be treated like I'm just another kid who doesn’t know what they’re talking about or that I’m just overreacting.

Christian Ramirez-Acabal, 11th grade:

Who knew sleep had such an importance on our mental health? I certainly did not, I just thought sleep was just a way to regain our energy. I was severely depressed from 7th grade to sophomore year. Some days I didn't want to even get up from bed. My mother would let me sleep an extra hour when it got so severe, I would have mental breakdowns. But that one hour of sleep helped way more than I can express in words; I felt happy, alive, willing to go to school, feeling like I could do anything, write a 10-page essay and breathe. Recently, the board of education passed a new thing where they moved the starting hour of school from 7:25 A.M to 8:40 A.M. A lot of my peers are angry about this, saying that their jobs are more important. Even my mom is upset about this because she is worried about getting to after school appointments. But I feel like this could benefit us greatly in our education and allow our mental health to recover. And if it doesn't, it was a great experiment to try.

This is an opinion and analysis article, and the views expressed by the author or authors are not necessarily those of  Scientific American.

The Benefits of Later School Start Times

Even for online instruction, later start times are optimal, a new study finds..

Posted August 23, 2021 | Reviewed by Devon Frye

• Why Is Sleep Important?
• Find a sleep therapist near me
• The COVID-19 pandemic has disrupted schooling in many ways and school districts have created different instructional models.
• A study in a prominent journal reports how children in 6-12 grades nationwide have adjusted to different kinds of classes.
• Having online classes meant that more adolescents were able to obtain sufficient sleep than when they had to attend in person.

In a previous post, I mentioned that the COVID-19 pandemic would provide much useful information about sleep habits, sleep needs, and the daily functioning of children. With the vast majority of schools conducting all or some classes online during the 2020-21 school year, the reduction of time required to get ready for school, along with the elimination of morning commutes, meant that students would not necessarily have to get up as early to start the school day.

A study just published in the journal Sleep provides data from over 5,000 students in grades 6-12 from all over the U.S. Students were either in (a) in-person classes; (b) online live classes with teacher interactions; or (c) online but without live classes or teacher interactions. Some students had “hybrid” instructional models with some in-person days and some online. Students reported the time their classes started in 30-minute intervals from “before 7:00 AM” to “after 9:30 AM.” They also reported their bedtimes and rise times, bedtime and rise time consistency (day-to-day variation), and bedtime routines, including the use of technological devices before going to bed.

How Start Times Affected Sleep

As expected, the time that the school day started (whether in-person or online) affected how much sleep was reported. With earlier starts, both bedtimes and wake times were earlier. On average, bedtimes for online live classes were around half an hour later than for in-person classes. For middle school students, a start time between 8:30 and 9:00 AM resulted in a greater number of students getting sufficient sleep (defined as at least 9 hours).

Of note is that only about a third of middle school students had start times this late. Only around half of the high school students who got sufficient sleep had in-person start times later than 8:30. There was considerable night-to-night variability in sleep, especially in the hybrid models, since students had to get up earlier for in-person days. In past research, more variability in sleep schedules has been associated with negative mood and behavior outcomes in children and adolescents.

These data have implications for the hard decisions many school districts have faced regarding start times for school. A great many districts have followed the recommendation of the American Academy of Pediatrics for start times no earlier than 8:30 AM for middle and high school students and the results reported here indicate that such start times afford the opportunity for more sleep. The results also indicate that even for online instruction, starting at 8:30 or later is more optimal. Reducing day-to-day variation in start times for online classes is also a goal that school districts should consider.

What Does This Mean for Younger Children?

As I have mentioned numerous times in previous posts, start times for younger children (grades K-6) have received very little attention from researchers, and this recent study is illustrative of that point. In a majority of cases when school districts move middle and high school start times later, elementary start times are moved earlier, and we have no idea if very early start times are beneficial or at least not harmful for young children. Since younger children need more sleep, having an earlier start requires an earlier rise time to allow for preparation and commute.

There are individual differences in sleep needs by age, but guidelines typically call for 10-13 hours for preschoolers age 3-5 and 9-12 hours for children 6-12. For example, if a first or second grader’s school begins at 7:30 AM, they might have to be asleep before 8:00 PM to get sufficient sleep before waking early enough to get ready and commute to school.

Meltzer, L. J., Saletin, J. M., Honaker, S. M., Owens, J. A., Seixas, A., Wahlstrom, K. L., ... & Carskadon, M. A. (2021). COVID-19 instructional approaches (in-person, online, hybrid), school start times, and sleep in over 5,000 US adolescents. Sleep. zsab180, https://doi.org/10.1093/sleep/zsab180

Joseph A. Buckhalt, Ph.D. , is Wayne T. Smith Distinguished Professor Emeritus at Auburn University. He and his colleague Mona El-Sheikh, Ph.D. conduct research on sleep, health, and development in children and adolescents.

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Home — Essay Samples — Education — Starting School Later — Why Should School Start Later: Negative Effects of Early School Start

Why Should School Start Later: Negative Effects of Early School Start

• Categories: High School Starting School Later Student

About this sample

Words: 1679 |

Updated: 3 November, 2023

Words: 1679 | Pages: 4 | 9 min read

Table of contents

Introduction, why should school start later, works cited, video version.

• Carskadon, M. A., & Acebo, C. (2002). Regulation of sleepiness in adolescents: update, insights, and speculation. Sleep, 25(6), 606-614.
• Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2015). Schools start too early. Retrieved from https://www.cdc.gov/features/school-start-times/index.html
• Danner, F., & Phillips, B. (2008). Adolescent sleep, school start times, and teen motor vehicle crashes. Journal of Clinical Sleep Medicine, 4(6), 533-535.
• Gruber, R., Somerville, G., Enros, P., Paquin, S., Kestenberg, J., & Carrier, J. (2016). Sleep efficiency (but not sleep duration) of healthy adolescents is greater with later school start times. Sleep, 39(2), 349-356.
• Hagenauer, M. H., Perryman, J. I., Lee, T. M., & Carskadon, M. A. (2009). Adolescent changes in the homeostatic and circadian regulation of sleep. Developmental Neuroscience, 31(4), 276-284.
• Minges, K. E., & Redeker, N. S. (2016). Delayed school start times and adolescent sleep: A systematic review of the experimental evidence. Sleep Medicine Reviews, 28, 86-95.
• Owens, J. A., Belon, K., & Moss, P. (2010). Impact of delaying school start time on adolescent sleep, mood, and behavior. Archives of Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine, 164(7), 608-614.
• Paruthi, S., Brooks, L. J., D'Ambrosio, C., Hall, W. A., Kotagal, S., Lloyd, R. M., ... & Wise, M. S. (2016). Recommended amount of sleep for pediatric populations: a consensus statement of the American Academy of Sleep Medicine. Journal of Clinical Sleep Medicine, 12(6), 785-786.
• Wahlstrom, K. L., & Dretzke, B. (2009). Changing times: Findings from the first longitudinal study of later high school start times. NASSP Bulletin, 93(4), 1-22.
• Wheaton, A. G., Ferro, G. A., Croft, J. B., & School start times and insufficient sleep among high school students—United States, 2015–2017. (2018). Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, 67(3), 85-90.

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4 Benefits of Later School Start Times

Later school start times bring more sleep and improved health and academic success for teens.

Later School Start Time Benefits

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According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, on school nights more than 70% of high schoolers don't get the eight to 10 hours of sleep they need.

Getting back on a school schedule can be a difficult adjustment after the lazy days of summer, especially for teens.

Experts say adolescents are biologically wired to stay up later than younger kids, and having to get up early for school contributes to them being chronically short on sleep . But delaying school start times can help.

The American Academy of Pediatrics has called insufficient sleep in adolescents a public health issue and recommends that middle and high schools start no earlier than 8:30 a.m. But as of 2017, the average start time for public high schools nationwide was 8 a.m., and 10% of schools started before 7:30.

This fall, California became the first state to mandate delayed school start times, with public high schools required to start classes no earlier than 8:30 a.m., and middle schools not before 8 a.m. Supporters say the change will not only let California teens and tweens catch a few extra Z’s, but will bring many other important benefits.

“There are resulting improvements across the board: grades improve, attendance goes up and graduation rates go up fairly significantly,” says Lisa L. Lewis, a parenting journalist and the author of "The Sleep-Deprived Teen: Why Our Teenagers Are So Tired, And How Parents And Schools Can Help Them Thrive."

Opponents to later start times say they can cause significant logistical issues with bus routes, parent work schedules and extracurriculars like after-school sports.

But advocates say the benefits are worth the cost. States like New York, New Jersey and Massachusetts are considering also making the change.

“Studies have shown over and over that teens get more sleep when school starts later, with research-based benefits to their physical and mental health, academic performance and beyond,” says Elinore Boeke, communications director for Start School Later, a nonprofit organization that lobbied for California's new law.

California's implementation of the new rules comes at a time when many teens' sleep habits have changed for the worse due to the pandemic .

Here are some of the benefits of later school start times:

• Better mental and physical health.
• Improved academic outcomes.
• Reduced risk of car accidents and injuries.
• Less tardiness.

Better Mental and Physical Health  

Teenagers need eight to 10 hours of sleep per night, but almost 60% of middle schoolers and more than 70% of high schoolers don't get enough sleep on school nights, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

In adolescence, changes to the body's "sleep drive" and a delayed release of the sleep hormone melatonin make it more difficult for teens to fall asleep early.

Research shows that when school starts later, teens get more sleep, says Shelby Harris, a sleep psychologist and clinical associate professor at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine , with "many adolescents able to obtain at least eight hours of sleep per night." That leads to better physical and mental health, including decreased rates of depression and anxiety and less caffeine use, Harris says.

Teens who reported they got at least eight hours of sleep per night were more likely to say they have good overall health and less likely to report being depressed or using caffeine and other substances, per a study by the Center for Applied Research and Educational Improvement at the University of Minnesota.

“Kids are more likely to eat breakfast, and teachers find kids smiling and awake to learn in first period,” Boeke says.

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Improved Academic Outcomes

When school starts later, "mood, academics, attendance and graduation rates all improve,” says Harris.

For instance, one study by the National Sleep Foundation found that both attendance and graduation rates   "significantly improved" in schools that delayed their start times to 8:30 a.m. or later.

Studying middle schools in Wake County, North Carolina, with variable start times, economics professor Finley Edwards found that starting school an hour later would raise test scores an average of 2 percentile points in math and 1.5 points in English. Effects were larger for lower-performing students.

Using Edwards' methodology, but on a national scale, the authors of another study estimated that National Assessment of Educational Progress math scores for eighth graders would increase as much as 8 points if schools started one hour later, which many experts say is equivalent to almost a full grade-level increase.

Jessica Baltaxe, an 11th grader at Angelo Rodriguez High School in Fairfield, California, is starting school a half-hour later this year, and says students like being able to sleep in.

"A half-hour doesn’t seem like a lot of time, but it makes a big difference," she says.

"Many students go to bed late because of the demands of their coursework and extracurriculars, so by providing extra time in the morning it sets them up to have a more productive day."

Reduced Risk of Car Accidents and Injuries

Multiple studies  have shown that both overall car crash and distracted driving crash rates drop significantly with delayed school start times, which can reduce mortality and morbidity in adolescents.

Research on delayed school start times also show that there are fewer sports-related injuries, Harris says.

Several  studies  show the importance of adequate sleep for student athletes.

"Getting a good night's sleep and getting it at the right time has been shown to improve student athletes' accuracy and reaction time and significantly lessen their risk of injury," Boeke says.

Hansika Daggolu is in 11th grade at Mission San Jose High School in Fremont, California, where the start of the school day has moved from 8 a.m. to 8:30. She's looking forward to the change.

“I think having later school start times would be especially beneficial for me and other kids who have after-school commitments like sports. We will be getting more sleep, so we will be able to perform better,” Daggolu says.

Less Tardiness

Regular tardiness can be an issue for sleep-deprived teens. But starting school later makes it easier for students to arrive on time.

“Repeated studies show that starting secondary schools at 8:30 a.m. or later significantly boosts on-time attendance,” says Joy Wake, advocacy director for Start School Later.

She notes this is especially so for financially disadvantaged or lower-performing students who already face obstacles in getting enough sleep and getting to school on time.

“Being well-rested boosts emotional resiliency,” Lewis says. “When teens get more sleep, they’re better equipped emotionally to deal with all of the daily stressors.”

While tardiness may not have been an issue for Baltaxe, she says the later start times make a big difference for busy students like herself.

“Before, I was still waking up during class, but now I feel more prepared to take on the day,” Baltaxe says.

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The Pros and Cons of Starting High School Later

If you've ever had trouble getting your teen up in the morning or you've seen teens fall asleep during the school day, you're not alone. Many adolescents struggle to wake up early for school. It's sparked a discussion about the pros and cons of starting school at a later time.

While some people may think that teens are just lazy for not getting up early, doctors say that's not actually the case. The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) has urged school districts to consider later start times so that adolescents can get adequate sleep. Still, many districts have said that changing the time school starts just isn't feasible. 

What Physicians Say

The AAP’s Adolescent Sleep Working Group reviewed studies involving inadequate sleep in teens. Researchers analyzed the harmful effects sleep deprivation—anything less than 8.5 to 9 hours of sleep on school nights—can have on young people.

They concluded that poor sleep is linked to increased reliance on caffeine, tobacco, and alcohol . They also discovered a link between sleep deprivation and poor academic performance . Sleep deprivation has also been linked to an increased risk of car accidents in teens.

It may seem as though the solution would be for teens to simply go to sleep earlier. But researchers say that it isn't likely to work. Teens experience hormonal shifts that make falling asleep earlier difficult, if not impossible. Their biological clocks simply won’t allow them to fall asleep before 11 p.m., even when they’re tired.

Studies show that simply delaying school by 30 minutes can have a dramatic impact on teens' health and performance. So most researchers recommend school start times be delayed until at least 8:30 a.m. for teenagers. Benefits of delayed school start times include:

• More sleep : Teens may be more likely to get the recommended amount of sleep. 
• Better sleep : Delayed start time could help teens sleep during their natural sleep/wake cycles.
• Less caffeine : Teens may be less likely to depend on caffeine to stay awake during the day.
• Better grades : Adequate sleep could help teens be more alert during the school day, which could boost their academic performance .
• Better health : Sleeping longer could reduce health-related issues that accompany sleep deprivation.
• Better choices : Getting home later in the afternoon (if school is shifted forward) may reduce the amount of time some teens are home alone, and could decrease the likelihood they will engage in unhealthy activities.

What School Districts Say

Despite the recommendation from the AAP, the majority of school districts aren’t planning to change their start times. School officials often cite logistical concerns about starting the school day later.

Delaying high school start times could pose problems with bus schedules, after-school activities, and sporting events for the entire district. Changing the high school start time could have a domino effect on all the schools that could pose a logistical nightmare.  

Critics also note that a later dismissal time for teens would pose problems for those who must provide childcare to younger siblings. Students who participate in sports and extra-curricular activities would get home later in the evenings. And teens might stay up even later if they don't have to wake for school at an earlier time.

What Parents Can Do

No matter what time your teen's school starts, it's important to support your teen by making sure they're getting enough high-quality sleep. Teach your teen about appropriate sleep hygiene and talk about the benefits of sleep.

While you can't force your teen to fall asleep at a certain time, you can establish a "lights out rule." Take away electronics at least 60 minutes before bedtime and encourage your teen to read quietly in their room to help them get ready for bed.

Most teens like to sleep late on the weekends or during school vacations. However, sleeping in can throw off your teen's natural sleep/wake cycle. Keep your teen on a consistent schedule even on weekends and school vacations.

If you feel strongly that your child’s health and academic life are being disrupted by a lack of sleep, be an advocate for your child. Share your concerns with school officials. Attend school board meetings and discuss this issue with other parents. You may be able to gain enough support to create change.

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Schools start too early .

School start times for adolescents . Pediatrics . 2014;134(3):642-649. doi:10.1542/peds.2014-1697

Han WJ, Miller DP, Waldfogel J. Parental work schedules and adolescent risky behaviors . Dev Psychol . 2010;46(5):1245-1267. doi:10.1037/a0020178

National Sleep Foundation. Eight major obstacles to delaying school start time .

Hale L, Kirschen GW, Lebourgeois MK, et al. Youth screen media habits and sleep: Sleep-friendly screen behavior recommendations for clinicians, educators, and parents . Child Adolesc Psychiatr Clin N Am . 2018;27(2):229-245. doi:10.1016/j.chc.2017.11.014

By Amy Morin, LCSW Amy Morin, LCSW, is the Editor-in-Chief of Verywell Mind. She's also a psychotherapist, an international bestselling author of books on mental strength and host of The Verywell Mind Podcast. She delivered one of the most popular TEDx talks of all time.

10 Reasons Why School Should Start Later (Top Benefits!)

Research demonstrates that school starting later is good for adolescents . It can give them more time to sleep and even improve test scores.

Nevertheless, school starting later does have some downsides. Parents need to get their children off to school early so they can go to work and earn money for their families.

Here are my top 10 reasons why school should start later.

• Helps students focus
• Caters to their natural sleep timetable
• Reduce the risk of car accidents
• Reduces risky behavior
• Improves information retention
• Helps teens feel happier
• Improves attendance
• Reduces stress
• Increases breakfast consumption
• Caters to their needs

There are a number of reasons school should start later, and it’s not just because the teenagers are being lazy and want to sleep in. The rest of this article will address the scientific reasons defending a later start for schools.

Don’t miss the other side of the debate: Reasons School Should Start Earlier!

Reasons Why School should Start Later

1. school helps students focus.

One of the primary reasons school should start later is that it helps them focus. For students who are naturally inclined to stay up late and sleep in, going to school earlier can disrupt their circadian rhythm, diminishing their capacity to retain information.

What teachers often mistake for laziness is often the student’s body being negatively impacted by an unnatural biological cycle, compounding in a lack of focus on schoolwork.

In fact, a study by Lufi et al. (2011) found that an extra hour of sleep for adolescents significantly increased their attention levels on the “Mathematics Continuous Performance Test”.

By contrast, students that have a hard time focusing are also often singled out for misbehavior, which can affect their self-perception and make them less inclined to put in effort at school.

2. Caters to Their Natural Sleep Schedule

Another important reasons why school should start later is that a later start is better for students’ natural sleep cycle.

Especially for teenagers, the tendency is to stay up late and sleep longer, needing 8.5-9.5 hours to be fully rested. For a student who goes to bed at 11p.m., they would need to sleep until 7:30-8:30a.m. to be fully rested, a time frame when most schools have already started.

At the end of the day, better sleep means better performance in school. Students who feel refreshed in the morning are more likely to be optimistic about the day’s work and more receptive to learning.

3. Reduces the Risk of Car Accidents

Aside from improving student learning, a longer rest period for students who drive reduces the risk of car accidents.

For teens who are just learning how to drive, adding on an early school start is just a recipe for disaster. Teenagers make up over 50% of all car accidents that involve fatalities, and it certainly makes one wonder just how many of them are caused by sleep deprivation.

Lack of sleep slows down motor reflexes (Taheri & Arabameri, 2012) and makes a driver far more likely to make an error in judgement and cause an accident. Paired with their biological need to sleep longer, teens who start school earlier are more likely to get into accidents in the morning.

4. Reduces Other Risky Behaviors

Sleep-deprived teenagers are more likely to engage in any risky behaviors, not just driving dangerously.

While, of course, there are other factors that contribute to adolescent risk-taking (not least of which is an underdeveloped brain ), there’s no denying that sleep-deprived students aren’t using their mental faculties to full effect when it comes to risky decision making.

Switching to a later start time can help students, especially teenagers, feel more rested, emotionally stable, and less sleep-deprived so that they maximize their chances of making intelligent decisions.

5. Improves Information Retention

As well as helping students focus in the classroom environment, a later school start helps students retain information during class, especially those first and second period classes getting into the swing of the day.

Retaining information requires a lot of brainpower, something that students might struggle to conjure up if they are sleep-deprived.

A later start gives students more time to prepare themselves mentally for the day of learning ahead, helping them retain more information along the way.

One of the most extensive systematic reviews of the literature on school start times found that mid- to long-term memory retention is mildly improved with increased sleep in adolescents (Marx et al., 2017).

6. Helps Teens Feel Happier

When school starts early, teenagers can feel as though their natural circadian rhythm is off all the time, negatively affecting their mood and sense of well-being.

In fact, well-being is one of the most positive outcomes from research on late school start times (Marx et al., 2017).

Anecdotally, teenagers seem to be inclined to go to bed later (perhaps due to less self-governing abilities than adults). They also tend to need longer periods of rest than adults because they are going through significant physical and cognitive changes.

With that in mind, a later start to school is more in line with their biological needs and can positively affect their happiness.

7. Improved Attendance (Potentially)

Students who struggle in school or don’t see the merit in education often have a hard time motivating themselves to work hard, or even attend school at all.

When classes begin before 8:00, which is common in most schools, students on the periphery may feel more inclined to skip first period altogether to catch up on their sleep.

Starting a little later removes that concern and helps students who are struggling to motivate themselves take a little more time in the morning to prepare for the day ahead.

8. Reduced Stress

In a similar vein, students face a lot of stress that can negatively affect their performance in school, and the prospect of starting school so early is yet another factor that may contribute to stress in their lives.

Starting school later may on a case-by-case basis reduce stress, especially when it comes to attending first period. For example, the systematic review by Marx et al. (2017) found that some research shows that children often “are less tense at home, and school nurses have reported fewer stress-related complaints and illnesses.”

9. They Eat More Breakfast

A later school starting time may mean students will consume more breakfast.

Marx et al’s (2017, p. 13) systematic review found that some evidence points toward this outcome:

“There has been some indication (especially in Wahlstrom 2002) that students in later starting schools eat breakfast more often.”

Of course, intuitively this makes sense. They will have more time in the morning to prepare for school, meaning there is extra space in the day to allow young people to prepare and eat their breakfast.

The benefits of eating breakfast are vast – including heart health, better memory retention, and more stable moods.

10. Caters to Their Needs

Lastly, and in summation, starting school later than 8:00 helps cater to what the students want and need.

Most students would prefer not to have to run through the routine of preparing for school early in the morning if they could start later, and for teenagers especially, starting later could be a way to address their wants and needs .

There are a number of reasons school should start later than it does, and most students would jump at the chance to shift their first period back by just an hour. Starting school later helps students get a better night’s sleep, focus on their classwork, and improves their chances of success.

Other Debate Topics

• 16 Reasons College Athletes Should be Paid
• 16 Reasons Why School is Important

Bowers, J. M., & Moyer, A. (2017). Effects of school start time on students’ sleep duration, daytime sleepiness, and attendance: a meta-analysis.  Sleep health ,  3 (6), 423-431.

Lufi, D., Tzischinsky, O., & Hadar, S. (2011). Delaying school starting time by one hour: some effects on attention levels in adolescents.  Journal of Clinical Sleep Medicine ,  7 (2), 137-143.

Marx, R., Tanner‐Smith, E. E., Davison, C. M., Ufholz, L. A., Freeman, J., Shankar, R., … & Hendrikx, S. (2017). Later school start times for supporting the education, health, and well‐being of high school students: a systematic review.  Campbell Systematic Reviews ,  13 (1), 1-99.

Taheri, M., & Arabameri, E. (2012). The effect of sleep deprivation on choice reaction time and anaerobic power of college student athletes.  Asian journal of sports medicine ,  3 (1), 15.

Wahistrom, K. (2002). Changing times: Findings from the first longitudinal study of later high school start times.  Nassp Bulletin ,  86 (633), 3-21. Widome, R., Berger, A. T., Iber, C., Wahlstrom, K., Laska, M. N., Kilian, G., … & Erickson, D. J. (2020). Association of delaying school start time with sleep duration, timing, and quality among adolescents.  JAMA pediatrics ,  174 (7), 697-704.

Chris Drew (PhD)

Dr. Chris Drew is the founder of the Helpful Professor. He holds a PhD in education and has published over 20 articles in scholarly journals. He is the former editor of the Journal of Learning Development in Higher Education. [Image Descriptor: Photo of Chris]

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Persuasive Essay About Why School Should Start Later

Table of contents:

• Introduction
• Body paragraphs

It’s one of the favoured topics among high school students. You’re tired. After being up late last night, your school day started at 8:30 am this morning, and you want to know if anything can be done about it. Or perhaps you’re an early bird and like the time that school starts in the morning. Well, you can write a persuasive essay, and maybe if it’s good enough, your voice will be heard, either way.

Start off by taking a firm stance with your thesis statement. Whether you feel school should start later in the morning, or should not, you need to figure out why, and the reasons and benefits (or negatives) in your own mind, first of all. Make a quick outline with your statement of purpose at the top, followed by each point you want to make and the evidence you are going to use to support each point. Remember that you can use any evidence you like in a persuasive essay; it need not be restricted to facts and figures, but can be anecdotal, emotive, or statistical. Think of yourself as a politician trying to persuade an audience to vote for him or her.

Introduction examples

Pro: It’s been proven in many studies that teenagers do better with a later start to the day. With this in mind, why do we still start school at 8:30 in the morning?

Con: Starting later in the day at school interferes with parents’ working days, encourages students to stay up late, and would cause problems with after-school practices for sports.

Moving on into the body of your essay, carry on following your outline, setting up each point and presenting your evidence as you go. Have a look at potential titles, too, which should be reflective of your thesis statement.

Body paragraphs examples

Pro: Teenagers in high school should start at about 10 am. This would allow for a leisurely morning, making the day start off less fraught and stressful. A teenager could stay up until midnight or 1 am and still get a decent amount of sleep, which doesn’t happen when they have to wake up at 6:30 or 7 am. Traffic, too, will be more spread out, easing congestion, and students can take the time to get a good breakfast and be really mentally prepared for the day.

Con: Parents worry about getting themselves to work on time even when school starts at 8:30. A lot of working days would have to change significantly for people to get to work on time if high school started at 10 am instead. This could lead to large amounts of business disruption, and possible discrimination against parents for needing more flexible working hours.

Your conclusion is your last chance to leave an impression on your audience, so make it significant and meaningful. Start by briefly reiterating what your points were, and finish with a bang by calling on your audience to take some action in response to your essay.

Conclusion examples

Pro: Starting later results in benefits for teachers, benefits for students, and also for parents. Think about how rested you’d feel if you had a full eight hours or more sleep each night, and how much more you could get done in your day.

Con: A later school start will throw Australian cities into chaos and maybe even cause some parents to face consequences at work. The way things are now is fine, and there’s no need to fix what isn’t broken.

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