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Chloe Deemer
Mrs. Cramer
Comp. Pd. 1
22 March 2017
Time to Wake Up
Frantic buzzing suddenly stabs at the canals of your ears and you are forced to fight with

gravity and raise your arm to hit the snooze button on your alarm.1 You continue to hit the snooze

minutes later. It was a rough night. There was softball practice until 5 p.m, homework lasted until

8 p.m, ate dinner and showered all by 9 p.m. Then watched an episode, or two, or three of a

series until 11 p.m.2 That left seven hours of sleep. Having seven hours of sleep just isn't enough

and some students have an even busier schedule, giving them even less time to sleep. The results

of lack of sleep include attendance issues at school, student behavior problems, and a decrease in

test scores (Later). Finley Edwards from Education Next states, "many students who have to

wake up early for school do not get enough sleep and that beginning at a later time would boost

their achievement." Schools need to start at a later time in the day so kids can get more sleep and

improve test scores.

Along with sleep, pushing the school start time will also improve test scores. "A 1996

survey of research studies found substantial evidence that less sleep is associated with a decrease

in cognitive performance, both in laboratory settings and through self-reported sleep habits.

Researchers have likewise reported a negative correlation between self-reported hours of sleep

and school grades among both middle and high school students." (Edwards). Everything is

1 Personification: Giving human like characteristics to objects.

2 Polysyndeton: Use of conjunctions (and, or, but, ect.) repetitively while listing.
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linked together by cause and effect. If schools start later, kids get more sleep, and increase their

grades and test scores. Finley Edwards also mentions, "I find a 2.2 percentile point

improvement in math scores and a 1.5 - point improvement in reading scores associated with a

one hour change in start time." (Edwards). It has been proven that delaying the start times at

schools benefit the students grades. Studies have been performed on a later start time and "results

are almost always positive.", according to the American Psychological Association.

Some might say the starting time of the school doesnt have an effect on children's

education. However, Finley Edwards says, "I find that delaying school start times by one hour,

from roughly 7:30 to 8:30, increases standardized test scores by at least 2 percentile points in

math and 1 percentile point in reading."(Edwards). It has been scientifically proven that starting

at a later time benefits the kids and their education. The American Psychological Association

created a list of benefits from schools that start later, which includes "increased attendance rates,

increase in student GPA, increase in state assessment scores, increase in college admission." It

benefits almost all aspects of test scoring and average grades. Edwards also states, " I also find

evidence of other potential mechanisms, later start times are associated with reduced television

viewing, increased time spent on homework, and fewer absences." (Edwards). This just furthers

the evidence on why school should start later. It not only improves scores, but improves time

management while at home.

Although it may seem like kids get enough sleep, most middle and high schoolers get

less than enough. The lack of sleep affects their health and education. According to the American

Psychological Association, "the optimal amount of sleep for adolescents is approximately 9

hours nightly. Surveys show that, while younger children generally get enough sleep, by early

adolescence, most do not; this trend continues to worsen throughout the teenage years. More than
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half of teens age 15 17 sleep for 7 or fewer hours per school night." (Later). Delaying school

start times would help eliminate this problem and improve the health and minds of the older

students. Having more rest, the students would have "increases in/benefits to: memory and

learning/attention." (Later). They would be less tired in the mornings and more alert in class.

Some may argue that students can just go to bed early, but what they dont know is that

it's almost biologically impossible for them to fall asleep earlier than 11. Saying that is like

telling a fish to walk.3 "Experts say adolescents need 8 to 9 hours of sleep a night but find it

hard to fall asleep before 11 because of their natural sleep cycles." (St. George). Teens natural

sleep cycle mixed with a busy schedule result in a minimal amount of sleep and poor academic

encounters. "Numerous studies, including those published by Elizabeth Baroni and her

colleagues in 2004 and by Fred Danner and Barbara Phillips in 2008, have found that earlier start

times may result in fewer hours of sleep, as students may not fully compensate for earlier rising

times with earlier bedtimes." (Edwards). "In addition, the onset of puberty brings two factors that

can make this adjustment particularly difficult for adolescents: an increase in amount of sleep

needed and a change in the natural timing of the sleep cycle. Hormonal changes, in particular, the

secretion of melation, shift the natural circadian rhythm of adolescents, making it increasingly

difficult for them to fall asleep early in the evening." (Edwards). It has been proven that kids

can't sleep at an earlier time and that delaying the school start time will help the children get the

rest they need and excel in school.

In conclusion, starting the school day later will benefit the student's grades and test scores

and would also give them more time for much needed sleep. "The typical explanation for why

3 Simile: Comparing two things using like or as.

later start times might increase academic achievement is that by starting school later, students

will get more sleep." (Edwards). They would reach over to their alarm clocks in the morning and

shut them off once, not press snooze five times before getting up to get ready. They would soar

on test grades and GPA`s. They would have improved "emotional regulation, mental health, well

being, and weight control."(Later), and there would be a "decrease in student sleeping during

instruction" (Later), according to the American Psychological Association. Many benefits would

come from this. Schools need to start at a later time so students can have enough time to sleep

and the chance to perform at their full potential and score higher on tests. The alarm clock is

going off. Are you going to hit snooze?

Works Cited

Edwards, Finley. "Do schools begin too early? The effect of start times on student achievement."
Education Next 12.3 (2012): 52+. Opposing Viewpoints in Context. Web. 13 Mar. 2017.
"Later School Start Times Promote Adolescent Well-Being." American Psychological
Association. Web. 13 March 2017
St. George, Donna. "Debate over school start times flare anew". The Washington Post. 1 January
2017. Web. 13 March 2017.