Do you feel exhausted and overworked at school every single day? Research has proven that a high percentage of students’ standardized test scores are improved with a later start time. Studies also prove that students that get over eight hours of sleep have an easier time focusing in school. 

There are other benefits to having a later start time for school. One of them being that many students report that their overall health is damaged from the lack of sleep they get.  Anish Iyer, an eighth grader and class president at Edison Intermediate School (EIS) stated, “When I don’t get enough sleep, and I’m tired during school, it affects my performance on tests and my grades.”

Not only does lack of sleep cause health problems, it can also result in depression and other mental illnesses: “Teens who reported they got at least eight hours of sleep per night were more likely to say they have good overall health and less likely to report being depressed or using caffeine and other substances, per a study by the Center for Applied Research and Educational Improvement at the University of Minnesota.” (Durrani). 

Another positive side to having a later start time to school is student’s test scores will go up significantly because students will get more sleep. Many kids practice falling asleep earlier for a big quiz or test, so they’re more well rested. Eighth grade student Ava Heuck said, “When I go to bed earlier my brain is more rested. I feel like I do better because my brain has had more time to go to sleep, dream and imagine before my big tests.”

Although a later school start would boost student’s grades, a good sleep schedule would be more efficient. Students have control over what time they go to sleep and the time they wake up. Eighth grade Science teacher Mrs. Jessica Herrera agrees; “Later school start time would not make the students grades increase but a better sleep schedule would. If kids went to bed at 9:30 p.m. instead of 12:30 p.m., then they wouldn’t come to school unprepared and exhausted.” 

In short, many students want school to start later and believe it will improve their grades, however, some staff members believe that school being early doesn’t make their grades bad, it’s just a poor sleep schedule that is to blame.