Exhaustion, hard time focusing, cranky, and distracted kids, these all are effects of long school days. Shorter hours and starting later would almost completely eliminate these impacts. Sleep is a key factor in a lot of school issues. Teaching and learning would improve along with grades. More time for healthy habits and restless kids would be practically removed. Less vacation for holidays and in between quarters.

According to Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, they state that apart of growing up is in the teenage brain to want to stay up and sleep later. Sleep is proven to affect grades, sports performance, emotional and behavioral problems, use of caffeine, cigarettes, and alcohol will increase. Parents always ask why is there teenager so moody? Have they ever considered teens aren’t getting enough sleep causing all kinds of problems in and out of school? Lack of sleep already affects kids but think of all the other dramatic things that happen to teens all that makes for one unhappy stubborn kid. Young drivers coming to school at such an early time risk the chance of driving drowsy or even falling asleep behind the wheel says the San Antonio Express- News. A poll given by National Sleep Foundation says that more than half the teens they polled have driven drowsy in the last year. 15% of the 10th-12th grade students say they have driven drowsy at least once a week. It is unnatural, not safe, and goes against our bodies to wake up at such unnatural times to learn when we can’t even learn properly because of the time.

Lack of sleep stresses a teen out which causes pimples, which makes teens stress even more, impatience with friends and family, causing again more stress. Overweight students most likely don’t get a lot of sleep since it’s proven that little sleep affects everyone’s eating habits, especially teens, such as eating too much or eating junk food. Teens need at least 8.5 to 9.25 hours of sleep says U.S. Newswire. A study in 1997 at a Minneapolis, Minnesota high school changed their start time for 7:15am to 8:40am. There was immediate improvement students were getting a full hour more of sleep and attendance rates went up.

Being a student at a high school myself I believe a later start time would not only benefit students but also teachers. Teachers are up just as late as students correcting papers, tests, and planning lessons. Shorter hours or days, even starting later, would give teachers more prep time to teach what needs to be taught. Starting later would also perhaps help students absorb what they're learning faster and more in a shorter amount of time. If teens are absorbing and understanding what is being taught faster than there would be not such a need for a lot of homework for students to understand.

Starting later would also help students form healthier habits. Many studies have been done that many teens skip breakfast for those last few minutes of sleep. By starting later teens have more of a chance of waking up and eating breakfast instead of skipping. Homework would be done and not easily forgotten, which would then improve grades. Lives would be more organized and less stress on parents and kids with forgotten things. Students more motivated to try knowing they won’t be trapped in school as long.

Starting later and ending at the same time is beneficial as well. Kids wouldn’t need as long of a lunch period to visit and hangout. Hours could stay short because kids would remember stuff better from the day before and they would be learning faster. Less vacation will be needed to make up for lost time. Shorter days give teachers more time to get ready for the next day.
Starting later would improve so much like sleep benefits and appearance, stress of teens and safety, teaching and learning capabilities, healthier habits for a healthier lifestyle, and making up for lost time. The way the school system is setup now gives kids a reason not to try or makes it easy for kids to quit without even trying.Think of all the kids out there who give up so easily this would help them so much. They wouldn’t even realize the benefit it is to themselves. All these pros eliminated just for a few wasted minutes on trying to catch up with the early start of the day.