Sleepy Teens

Sleepy Teens

Teens not getting enough rest is a common issue throughout high schools all over the country. A typical school day starts around 7:30 a.m., leaving many students without enough sleep. According to Trudeau, "... at least 20 percent of high school students fall asleep in class on a typical day." (n.pag.). While some people believe starting school later will interfere with after school activities, in reality it increases improves productivity and decreases dropout rates.

Starting school at a later time should be taken into consideration at every high school around the country. Teens are not able to function properly if they are tired which impacts their grades, and attendance. An extra hour and twenty minutes can make a big difference in the way students perform on a day to day basis. They would be more prepared to learn and pay attention in class. Many other things would probably improve if school started later, such as regulated emotions of teens and punctuality to class.

High schools starting later have been proven to be effective in increasing the attentiveness of students attending participating schools. Most teens do not get the recommended nine hours of sleep each night, which makes it harder to pay attention in the early morning hours. Students today can use the extra hour and twenty minutes of sleep to allow their mind and bodies to rejuvenate from such demanding schedules. Between being involved in after school activities and homework a student's day ends late, depriving them of much needed sleep. Starting school later can be advantageous in increasing the productivity, alertness, and readiness of sleepy teens.

Participating schools have also shown a decreased drop-out rate. Waking up early in the morning makes a teen feel like "I don't want to go to school," and the decision whether to get up for school or not becomes harder and harder. Students are more motivated to go to school when they are not tired and have the energy to focus in class. Keeping students in school is very important and by starting school later it can be much more efficient. Being well-rested increases their attendance and readiness to learn.

Students' not having enough sleep affects the way they operate in school. Schools all over the country deal with sleepy teens on a day to day basis. To improve the productivity, attendance and many other things, starting school later could be the answer. A sleepy teen is not a happy teen.

Work Cited

Trudeau, Michelle. :High School Starting Later to Help Sleepy Teens" 18 Jan. 2007. NPR. Web. 18 Jan. 2007. www.npr.org