Youssef Graoui Later School Times More than 40% of all schools in America start before 8 A. M. every day (Dretzke). Research also shows that adolescents need a minimum of nine to ten hours of sleep every single day to perform at their best (Dretzke). This means students must go to bed at 9 P. M. on school nights to get the necessary sleep leaving only one hour every morning to get ready, eat, and commute to school. Because adolescents need a minimum of nine to ten hours of sleep every day, school should begin at a later time because of student’s performance, their breakfast, and the negative effects of sleep deprivation.
One of the main goals of extending the time that school starts is getting better grades in school, and to get more intelligent every day. But with school times affecting the amount of sleep and breakfast consumption students are having is dramatically decreasing grades. From a study of 100 adolescents with and without behaviorally induced insufficient sleep syndrome, which is the complicated way of saying sleep deprivation, were studied. The academic performance of the kids with insufficient sleep were significantly worse.
This study also confirmed the results of other studies that have similar results (Academic Performance). By students having so much home work there is no way they can get to bed every night at 9 P. M. especially if they have sports or activities after school. Also according to Archives of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine, Students who had breakfast every day had significantly higher math scores than students who rarely ate breakfast (Paula). This means for the students who don’t have enough time in the morning to do all of their morning routine and eat breakfast are punished for it through their academics.
Breakfast is the most important meal of the day. Research can confirm its importance in adolescent’s health, academic achievement, cognitive development, and mental health (Benefits of Eating Breakfast) The way breakfast can do this is because it provides important daily nutrients such as protein, fiber, calcium, and carbohydrates. According to the Food and Nutrition service the nutrients that breakfast provides improves school performance, which allows students to do better in all aspects of their education (Benefits of Eating Breakfast).
Breakfast gives the body the fuel it needs every day to do better in school and life. But with so little time in the morning and being rushed to make it on time to school, many have to skip breakfast just because school starts so early. Sleep, something that is absolutely necessary for a human to live. As stated before, for a student to get their minimum amount of sleep must go to bed at 9PM. This will give only one hour to do necessary actions in the morning such as eating breakfast. Only 15% of all students reported sleeping a minimum of 8. 5 hours of sleep on school nights (Dretzke).
So 85% of all students are getting sleep deprived on school nights. A study done on three groups of adolescents was done, the first group had insufficient sleep, the second group was on a normal, healthy sleeping pattern, and the third group was a control group they were tested in the middle of the day. The group that had the least amount of sleep had significantly lower direct empathy and indirect empathy (American Academy of Sleep Medicine). Direct empathy is how one feels about others. For example, “I’m angry or sad that happened to someone. ” Indirect empathy is how emotions affects one.
For example, their heart is racing or having the feeling of being nauseous. All of this means people who lack in sleep have significantly less emotion represented to others which could lead to depression. Sleep deprivation is also associated directly to diabetes and obesity (Dretzke). Sleep deprivation is also one of the leading causes of motor accidents. Absence of sleep causes more than 80,000 people to fall asleep behind the wheel every single day. There are more than 250,000 sleep related motor accidents each year. 20% of all serious motor injuries are due solely to sleep (Drowsy Driving).
With students who are capable of driving and parents who take their children to school every day are not only at risk from others but they also are risking their own health merely due to school starting so early. With all of the standing research there is about later school times, schools still start early every day. School starting times affect the student in many ways and needs to be extended, this will have many positive consequences and will benefit the student greatly. The time for going to school in the morning affects the sleep, breakfast, and grades of many students. School should start later with the data that was presented today.
