Should Your School Day Start Later?

by | Last updated on January 24, 2024

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Both the American Academy of Medicine and the American Academy of Pediatrics recommend that both

middle and high schools begin no earlier than 8:30 a.m.

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Both organizations want to ensure students get adequate sleep so that they are alert and prepared to learn at school.

Why should schools not start later in the day?

AASM reports that sleep deprivation leads to anxiety, irritability,

lack of motivation and other symptoms of depression

. Delaying school start times can reduce these symptoms, as demonstrated by the results of the University of Minnesota study. Early school start times do not just affect mental ability and mood.

Why do schools open so early?

Why school starting times could be so early:

Parents can drop off their middle and high schoolers on their way to work

.

The budget for buses simply doesn't allow for a configuration of elementary schools starting first

.

Making kids rise early builds discipline

.

Why is starting school early bad?

Countless studies have shown that early school start times are associated with

students getting less sleep

, which negatively affects student academic performance. Students with less sleep have difficulty paying attention in class and are likely to have lower grades. They may also experience irritability and fatigue.

Is it better to start school earlier or later?

Better sleep:

Delayed start time

could help teens sleep during their natural sleep/wake cycles. Less caffeine: Teens may be less likely to depend on caffeine to stay awake during the day. Better grades: Adequate sleep could help teens be more alert during the school day, which could boost their academic performance.

Why do teens stay up late?

Why Do Teens Have

Sleep Problems

? … The body releases the sleep hormone melatonin later at night in teens than in kids and adults. This resets the body's internal sleep clock so that teens fall asleep later at night and wake up later in the morning. Most teens just aren't sleepy enough for bed before 11 p.m.

How much sleep do teenagers need?

Importance of Sleep

The American Academy of Sleep Medicine has recommended that children aged 6–12 years should regularly sleep 9–12 hours per 24 hours and teenagers aged 13–18 years should sleep

8–10 hours per 24 hours

.

Does starting school later improve grades?

When Schools Start Later, Grades, Attendance, and Sleep Improve. … In addition to more sleep, the study found that later wake-up times were associated with grades that

were 4.5 percent higher

. “This was a huge increase,” says Dr. de la Iglesia.

Why do schools not allow hoods?

This is because

a hood obscures part of a person's face and identity

–making it harder to spot an intruder or to identify a student who has done something wrong. It is presumably for this reason that many malls restrict hoods being worn.

Who invented homework?

Going back in time, we see that homework was invented by

Roberto Nevilis

, an Italian pedagog. The idea behind homework was simple. As a teacher, Nevilis felt that his teachings lost essence when they left the class.

Who invented school?


Horace Mann

invented school and what is today the United States' modern school system. Horace was born in 1796 in Massachusetts and became the Secretary of Education in Massachusettes where he championed an organized and set curriculum of core knowledge for each student.

How does school affect depression in teens?

Not only does school sometimes contribute to depression,

depression can also interfere with school

. Moreover, research shows that 75 percent of all mental health conditions begin by age 24. Hence, the college years are a critical time for understanding and talking about teen mental health.

How does school time affect mental health?

Studies show that

extra sleep for teenagers actually helps shield them against depression and anxiety

. It's true! This study from 2017 showed that teenagers with school starting at 8:30am or later had better mental health than their earlier-starting counterparts.

What reasons would parents have for wanting their child to start school at an early age?

  • School Readiness. …
  • Social and emotional development. …
  • Confidence and self-esteem. …
  • Boosted pre-math and literacy skills. …
  • Check-ins of developmental milestones.

Why do teens hate their parents?

Part of being a teenager is

about separating and individuating

, and many teens feel like they need to reject their mom and dad in order to find their own identities. … Teenagers focus on their peers more than on their parents and siblings, which is normal too.

Why do teens lie?

Teens

lie compulsively as a way to control what their parents know about their lives

. In addition, they may develop a habit of lying as a way to cover up dangerous behavior, such as substance abuse or self-harm. In addition, teens may compulsively lie in order to create a false image of who they are.

Maria LaPaige
Author
Maria LaPaige
Maria is a parenting expert and mother of three. She has written several books on parenting and child development, and has been featured in various parenting magazines. Maria's practical approach to family life has helped many parents navigate the ups and downs of raising children.