A Later Start to the School Day?

Anna Wurst '26 ~ October 2022

As I’m trying to fall asleep, I calculate the amount of sleep I am going to get. What used to be nine hours has turned into eight and then seven or less. When I hear the ringing of my alarm in the morning, a pit in my stomach grows. All I want to do is fall asleep again, but I can’t: it’s time to get ready for school.

According to the Center for Disease Control (CDC), a high school aged student should acquire at least eight hours of sleep each night. “Children and adolescents who do not get enough sleep have a higher risk of obesity, diabetes, injuries, poor mental health, and problems with attention and behavior” (cdc.gov). Sleep schedules often have a dramatic impact on education.

School days often start at about 8:00 AM, and students are expected to arrive fifteen to thirty minutes early. Especially with the combination of schoolwork, sports, and other extracurriculars, I and many other students have a difficult time getting enough sleep to be able to function properly at school and diminish risks of further health issues that arise due to a lack of sleep.

I interviewed five high school students at Nardin to see how an early morning affects their educational experience.

Student A, a freshman, participates in many after school activities such as the musical, dance, and musical instruments. In addition to her activities, she takes her schoolwork very seriously. She says that on an average school night, she only gets about six and a half hours of sleep. She often drinks caffeine in the morning, but she still finds herself tired during the school day.

Student B is a sophomore, and she only sleeps for about six hours every night. She takes multiple dance classes throughout the week and participates in the school musical. If she wanted to get at least eight hours of sleep, she would need to be asleep by 9:30 PM. She says that this is difficult and sometimes impossible because of her schedule.

Student C, a junior, sleeps for an average of six hours per night. On most weekdays, she dedicates over three hours to rowing on the Nardin Crew Team. She also spends her time doing schoolwork and studying. She feels immensely tired all day at school.

It is clear that students are rarely getting enough sleep during the school week, but starting school later in the morning presents its own complications. Firstly, if the school day began at 8:30 or even 9:00 AM, would the day need to be extended? Starting a school day later can only be effective if the dismissal time does not dramatically change. Another issue that comes with this is that students may not take advantage of the opportunity for a better school experience. For instance, they may simply fall asleep later each night and maintain the same hours of sleep as before.

While I cannot speak for every high school student, I can say that I and many others would benefit from a later start to a school day.