Sleep is a necessity for all humans, with the number of hours required each night decreasing with age. According to the National Sleep Foundation, people between the ages of 14 and 17 need between eight and ten hours of sleep per night. (National Sleep Foundation, 2015) However, many students are not getting the required amount of sleep due to homework, school start times, and their body’s natural circadian rhythm. The starting time of high schools range nationally from 7:40 to 8:30 in the morning, with an average start time of 8:00 AM. (Rettner, 2015) However, over the past few years there has been a rise in pediatric associations stating that an 8:00 is too early for high school students, and can have a detrimental effect on their performance at school and their health. (AAP News & Journals, 2014) When students go through puberty, their circadian rhythms change, causing them to get tired later in the night, requiring them to wake up later in the morning. (CDC, 2018) However, the starting time of school stays the same, leading to a rise in sleep deprivation among the students posing the question: what effect does school start time have on a student’s daily life?

Having completed my colloquium presentation and final project, I found that, while school start times have little effect on the amount of sleep students get, later start times do lead to more consistent sleep schedules.

To the left is my colloquium presentation. Below is my final paper.