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  • Essay / An argument in favor of moving back the start time for high school students

    Isabelle hasn't managed to get a good night's sleep for almost a month. The finals are approaching, but that doesn't mean his workload is getting any lighter. In addition to studying for final exams, she also has to work on a ten-page essay in English and a project on history, as well as the usual two hours minimum of math homework every night and writing a chapter on economics. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”? Get an original essay Even though Isabelle tries to keep procrastination to a minimum, she still ends up working late at night and after midnight. In the morning, her alarm wakes her up at five o'clock so as not to miss the bus, which happens more often than usual. When she finally arrives at school, Isabelle is too exhausted to function normally. Isabelle's story is something that almost every high school student can relate to, and it is not okay. For the sake of students, it is necessary to reform school entry times. While it's normal for high school students to complain about school, it's fair to say that the most common student complaint is not getting enough sleep. The National Sleep Foundation states that “most adolescents need 9.25 hours of sleep per night” (“Snooze Control” 5). The simplest answer would be for teenagers to simply go to bed earlier, but the solution is not as simple as it seems. In fact, adolescents are biologically programmed to fall asleep later than children and adults. According to the NSF, “Going to bed earlier won't help. While most adults' bodies release a chemical signaling that it is bedtime around 9:30 p.m., in adolescents this chemical is not released until 10:30 p.m., making it difficult to sleep before 11 p.m. hours” (“Snooze Control” 5). Since it has been proven that telling teens to go to bed earlier is not an effective solution, the only other way to ensure that teens get the full benefit of their rest is to push back school start times. One benefit of a later start time would be that families would have more time to prepare for school. When you have to wake up early in the morning to avoid being late, the brain is not fully functional. Researchers have found that waking up too early means that “memory, reaction time, the ability to perform basic math tasks, as well as alertness and attention suffer” (Konnikova 4). If the brain functions so poorly when waking up too early, a student might end up forgetting something important at home in the chaos and rushing to get to school. Forgetful students not only hurt themselves by failing to turn in an important assignment, but they also burden their teachers. Another possible outcome is that a student could be so lethargic that they could end up missing the bus, causing parents to have to drive their child to school, or the student could end up missing the entire day. If students were allowed to get more rest, they would wake up more easily and be able to think more clearly. This would also benefit their parents, as mornings would become less busy. Another reason why schools should address the problem of adolescent lack of rest is that lack of sleep negatively impacts student performance. Sleep-deprived students are less able to pay attention in class and learn the material. As stated by the doctor Mr. Safwan.