Education and routine are very important for everyone, especially adolescents. On average schools in New York start at 7:45 a.m. Early school start times are mostly due to bussing schedules. But what are the effects of students starting school so early in the morning?
Experts suggest adolescents should get 8-10 hours of sleep a night, but for most students, that can seem difficult. Adolescents’ brains produce the melatonin hormone later at night then adults, making them fall asleep later in the night. This can make it hard to get up early in the morning.
In a survey conducted at Hampton Bays High School, it was concluded that almost 80% of students who responded struggle to get up for school. But how can getting up earlier for school and getting less sleep affect teens? For starters, earlier school start times, leading to sleep restriction, have been linked to higher levels of anxiety, anger, fatigue, and confusion in adolescents according to the National Library of Medicine.
During puberty, adolescents’ circadian rhythms, a physical and mental cycle the body follows every 24 hours, shift. When the circadian rhythm shifts, it can cause daytime sleepiness, decreased alertness, and problems with memory and decision making. Decreased sleep and changes in routine can affect the circadian rhythm. But there are some things students can do to help, even if they don’t get to wake up later. They can try reducing their use of electronics before bed and limiting caffeine.
The American Academy of Pediatrics advocates for schools to start at 8:30 a.m., however schools rarely follow this recommendation. California and Florida recently mandated middle and high schools to start no earlier than 8:20 a.m.. Other states like New York and New Jersey are considering similar measures, according to Sleepopolis. This law has some clear effects on students. A study showed that teens who started school later slept more and had less absences. It also showed a lower dropout rate and better academic and sports performance. It increased students’ moods and decreased reporting of depressive conditions as claimed by the Master of Arts Teaching Guide.
There are some cons of later school start times as well. It brings the idea of school ending later, bringing possible conflicts with sports and other extracurriculars. It could also conflict with parent schedules for those whose parents drive them to school. Not to mention it could also be difficult for school administrators to put new start times into action.
The argument that early school start times promote lateness and absences is debatable. Some teachers think that a later start time would not affect attendance. But they also believe it could benefit academic performance.
For now, many students will continue to start school before the recommended time of 8:30 am and the 80% of students at Hampton Bays who struggle to get up for school are going to have to wait and see if New York follows along with California in pushing later school start times.
