Does the school day start too early?
I'm your average high school sophomore; I hang out with my friends, have loads of anxiety about homework and upcoming tests, and wake up too early. High school starts at 8:20, elementary school at 8:00, and middle school at 8:55. Most students agree that school starts too early and that it's critical for us to sleep in. I think that's true. In fact most studies agree that schools start too early. Let's discuss the essential question: Does the school day start too early? The CDC says that if middle school and high school students are allowed to wake up later in the day, they'll be less likely to be absent from class, more awake in class, and more alert behind the wheel. Any student can get behind a little extra sleep. The AASM says that students should be getting between 8-10 hours of sleep a night, but almost 70% of high school students get 7 or less hours of sleep. Who can we blame for this? A segment of the brain during puberty ends up cranking out melatonin whi...