Sleep was something that many kids took for granted, and it is not until they reach high school that they realize how invaluable sleep truly is. First periods make this regret even more potent. For many campuses around the nation, the school day starts off very early. First period for some schools begins at 7:00 a.m., and second period near 8:00 a.m. Both of these times require students to get up even earlier to get ready for school. Getting up early can lead to difficulties throughout the students’ school day; students are unable to be attentive and engaged in class, come into school tardy, and perform worse in classes. As such, school times should start at around 9 to 9:30 a.m. in order to give students time before and after school.

If school started later, it could allow students could sleep longer, which comes with many academic benefits. Teenagers need a total of 8 to 10 hours of sleep each day, compared to the 6 to 8 hours that adults need. The University of Kentucky performed an experiment where they pushed school start time an hour back, so that the amount of students getting 8 to 10 hours of sleep jumped from 35.7% to 50%. Having eight hours of sleep every night can lead to students being able to focus more in class, and in return, receive better grades. If schools continued to start at the time they do now, grades will continue to fail to reflect the true potential of students.
Also, early start times can lead to a huge amount of students being absent or tardy in their early classes. The student may sleep through the start time and only show up for part of class. Being tardy in these classes can also lead to grade drop and failure to get into many colleges. According to the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, about nine out of ten students or 93% do not attend their first period. This percent is not acceptable because attendance is a huge factor in college decisions and can harm the students’ near future.

If school started at a later hour, there might not be enough time after school for students to complete homework and participate in events outside of school. A huge amount of students attending CHS participate in sports or extracurricular activities after school, that create less time for homework. Having school start at an earlier time prevents students from missing their classes if they have an early release time for certain sports or after school activities. So many of these activities certainly will catch colleges’ eyes when looking at applications. Yet, if school started later, students will be able to get more sleep and have enough energy to participate in as many sports and after school activities that they want to. School should begin at 9 a.m. as it is not too early and still allows time to do things after school, creating the ideal sort of school day.

If school start times were pushed back by an hour it would increase attendance rates in early periods, give students an extra hour of sleep, and a chance to receive better grades. Additionally, students will have more energy to stay awake and attentive during the school day and even for activities after school. Having a later start time, such as 9 a.m., will benefit students at CHS. Sleep cannot be considered a commodity, it is a necessity.