Sleep plays an important role in teenagers’ lives. The majority of high school students do not get the suggested amount of sleep at night causing health problems to their developing minds and bodies. According to Julie Boergers, PhD, Christopher J. Gable, BA, and Judith A. Owens, MD, MPH, “...optimal sleep duration remains at 8.5 to 9.5 hours per night.16,17 Thus, the typical teen has difficulty falling asleep before 11:00 p.m. and should wake up about 8:00 a.m. to obtain enough sleep,15 although most American high schools start before 8:00 a.m.” (Boegers, Gable, Owens …show more content…
It is obvious that changing the times would benefit the students and increase the amount of sleep they get. Studies have shown that adolescents natural sleep cycle is to fall asleep late and wake up late which is not congruent with early school start times. Delaying school start times would have a positive effect on students and their attitude toward school. High schools should make their start times later to increase academic performance, reduce health problems caused by an inadequate quantity of