![Mrs. Miller works in the guidance office. With all the many duties of her position she is working as the secretary for the guidance office. "[She] may change every period to a different class," Principal Scott Hinton said.](https://blueacemedia.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/sub-photo-1200x869.jpg)
BY ELIJAH SMITH (’18)
STAFF MEMBER
Most kids have dozed off in class, or have found themselves not paying attention because they are tired. 39% of students surveyed slept 6 hours or less on a daily basis according to School Start Later, a group of qualified officials determined to get students the sleep they need. Most think that teenagers should get 8 hours of sleep a night, the facts are that most of high school students do not.
A solution to this problem of sleep deprived teens is to push back the school start time. The average public high school starts at 8:00. Pushing the start time back to 9 or 10 would allow for kids to get the valuable sleep they need.
Teenagers should get 9 to 9.5 hours of sleep per night, according to Nationwide Children’s Hospital. The common misconception that teens should sleep 8 hours is wrong, they really need more than that, a lot more. Teenagers simply don’t have time to sleep for almost 10 hours a night. Most students who play sports or any extracurricular activity have practice after school for 2 to 3 hours. Then add 2 to 3 hours of homework at night, add in an hour to eat, shower etc. If they went right to sleep when they were done with that, then it would only be 8.5 hours of sleep. That’s simply not enough.
This would require the school day end at the relatively same time.
Some may argue that this will not give enough time for teenagers to learn. A lot of time at school is not spent learning; if schools could get only the learning done they could move the school starting time. A lot of the school day is sitting there or working on other work once you finish. Simplifying the school day would make every student more efficient and willing to work. This would allow schools to shorten the school day and class periods.
To make this change happen parents and students need to talk to administration and discuss making this change. To take it one step further anyone could start spreading word to the change or even showing the facts of lack of sleep to government officials.
Starting school at 10 o’clock would be hard to do. School administrators will likely be reluctant. Regardless, it would create a healthier, more motivated student and a better school environment.
Steve Krak • Nov 18, 2016 at 6:57 am
A great article and an important topic. What would it look like for everyone to give something to make this possible? The state will have to change the way it counts from hours-in-seats to credits. The school will have to shift and tighten its schedule. Sports will have to give up some of its student time (practice, weight room, etc), and students … if they want this, what would students have to give? The schools day has a ton of time that is not learning time .. time between classes, time to settle a class, time to deal with catching students up, breaks, etc. So what could students offer up in this cause? It might look more like a typical sports practice or music practice … more focus, higher expectations, more engagement, more commitment. As a parent, I’m on your side. Let’s find a way to start an hour later. Well done!