Later School Start Times

Later school starting times for teenagers could improve their performance.

We're talking about letting them sleep in just an additional 30 minutes. That can help teens in more ways than just with better grades.

It might seem a little odd to talk about a school subject in July, but a new study was just released looking at a small experiment that pushed back school starting time for teens. The results, published in this month's Archives of Pediatric & Adolescent Medicine, were pretty amazing.

Researchers convinced a small boarding school in Rhode Island to delay high school start times from 8 to 8:30. At first many parents and teachers were reluctant to go along, but after the late start time began, the results were so impressive they made the change permanent.

First period tardiness fell by almost half and students reported feeling less depressed or irritated. Health center visits dropped substantially and the number of hot breakfasts served more than doubled, meaning more students were getting a healthy start to their day.

Other studies have shown similar results from later teen start times including better academic performance. Part of the reason is the teens' biological clock. They don't really start getting tired until 11 pm or later and are still in their deepest sleep around dawn, when most of them have to wake up to go to school.
So by delaying that wake up by half an hour school-wide, they getting much more out of school.