Sleep is one of the most important physiological needs. A good night’s rest is essential to being a productive, attentive and successful student. Unfortunately, the recommended scientific standard hours of sleep (eight to 10 hours) is not a realistic expectation with early school start times. Beginning in secondary school, the suggested amount of sleep is often disregarded as heavy homework loads, an abundance of extracurricular activities, technology usa and puberty-induced changes in sleep cycles dictate when an individual goes to sleep. In 2022, California enacted a law that established a mandatory secondary school starts after 8:30 a.m. Florida and other states are following California’s advancements in establishing later school start times starting at the secondary education level. All states and their respective school districts should push back school start times to after 8:30 a.m. due to the notable benefits for teenagers, parents and teachers.
Shifting school start times to 8:30 a.m. or later benefits students’ overall sleep cycles, academic performance and social-emotional health. In 2014, the American Academy of Pediatrics published a study that drew attention to pushing back school start times. The study found evidence that suggested that earlier school start times combined with circadian rhythm disruptions are one of the key contributing factors to insufficient sleep for teenagers. The Center for Disease Control (CDC) National Youth Risk Behaviors Survey also conducted a study into the amount of teens who did not receive the recommended amount of sleep. From 2009-21, 69% to 77% of teens (13-18 years old) did not get enough sleep. In 2021 alone, 70% of ninth graders and 84% of 12th graders received less than eight hours of sleep. Both the CDC and the American Academy of Pediatrics identified heavy homework loads, extracurriculars and technology usage, particularly engagement with social media, all contribute to a loss of sleep. However, puberty is a major and recently discovered disruptor of sleep cycles.
The American Psychological Association illustrated that during puberty, adolescents undergo a significant shift in their circadian rhythms. This change makes it extremely difficult for teenagers to fall asleep until later in the evening. The homeostatic system is another internal factor that contributes to teenagers having a hard time falling asleep. This system is responsible for controlling the rhythm of sleepiness and wakefulness. In other words, the longer an individual stays awake, the greater the pressure to sleep becomes. This pressure and biological influence drive teens undergoing puberty to fall asleep later in the evening and wake up later in the morning. This hormone-induced disruption regarding an individual’s sleep cycle cannot be easily resolved by simply sleeping in on the weekends. The study suggests that pushing back school start times would benefit the overall health of the student. One study compared the overall physical and mental health of students who had a school start time of 8 a.m. to 8:29 a.m. to those who had a later start time between 8:30 to 8:59 a.m. They found that students who had the later start time had fewer negative feelings that impacted their overall moods, longer sleep durations and better developmental outcomes such as cognitive development, behavioral health and physical health. There have also been results that suggest that a later school start time would result in stronger academic performance and less tardiness.
A later start time for schools would also be beneficial for teachers and parents. A study conducted in Denver, where the shifted start time was implemented, found that the parents of secondary and high school students reported fewer instances of feeling tired and accounts of adequate and uninterrupted sleep cycles. Similarly, the teachers of the school districts that implemented the shift found that they also had sufficient sleep durations and improved daytime functioning. Based on these discoveries, later school start times for secondary education and high schools have an overall positive impact on the students, parents and teachers.
While there are significant benefits to shifting the school start times, individual school districts and families would have to adjust to address this change. Not all families are able to adjust to a start time shift at their child’s school either due to work or other commitments. Districts must be able to rise to the challenge in order to shift the start times. There would need to be a change in the busing programs in order to get students on time at school. They must also be able to accommodate students and their families by offering morning and afternoon care and pushing back extracurricular activities. However, the overall benefits for students, parents and teachers outweigh the logistical problems that districts can address with the proper support.
Indranil Kar, FCRH ’26, is an Arabic and political science double major from St. Louis.
