Persuasive Speech: Why School Should Start Later Have you ever been in a situation where you are tired during a school day or just completely wiped out? If you have felt this you are not the only one, in fact, according to a study from Yale News, 58% of students said tiredness is their top emotion in high school. This can happen due to a number of factors including, staying up late doing school work or having late extracurricular activities. But, this can mainly relate to the fact that school starts too early for teenage students. As reported by Tufts University, teens' body schedule is way off compared to children and adults. Since their bodies are changing, the melatonin in their brains doesn't kick in until around 11pm and with a recommended sleep amount of 9 hours, early school start times makes adequate sleep almost impossible. Therefore, schools should push back start times as it increases students' sleep time and boosts their academic performance. Too often, I have seen my classmates looking tired or sleeping in class. Teenagers like you and me need more sleep so that our brains and bodies can develop. The early school start times are thwarting our development and can also cause sleep deprivation, learning impairments, mental health, and physical health issues. This scenario is a perfect storm. An article by the American Psychological Association (APA) speaks about why early school start times are negative to teen health and states, ¨One meta-analysis found that compared with students whose schools started between 8:30 am and 8:59 am had longer sleep duration, less negative mood, and better developmental outcomes including socioemotional health, cognitive development, behavioral health, and physical health¨ (Weir par. 7). Starting schools later not only improves students' sleep but also improves better development physically and mentally. Students are less likely to have the burdens of anxiety and stress and have a positive attitude about school if it started later. Don’t you need a battery recharge everyday? School start times not only affect the students but also the parents and teachers that work hard everyday to make sure the students are prepared for the future. Students are not the only ones who have to go through long days with little sleep as teachers and parents are in the same situation. Parents who transport their children to school, and teachers who wake up early just like the students are also likely to be tired throughout the day. In the APA article, teachers said this about later school start times, ¨The high school teachers said this profoundly changed their lives, allowing them to be a more effective teacher¨ (Weir par. 9). Not only does this prove that students improve but teachers also improve with more sleep. Many educators currently feel under-rested and stressed, just like the children who attend school. As my mom is a fifth grade teacher, she shared that most days her brain is functioning with 50 browser tabs open every minute of her day. Parents also feel the same way as they have to wake up early to help their children be ready for school and catch the bus. With later start times parents and teachers are more likely to have energized and productive days. Some people will argue that earlier school start times are beneficial for students, teachers, and parents. In the APA article it states, ¨Moreover, while teens benefit from later start times, elementary students don't seem to suffer negative effects from earlier schedules, Meltzer said¨ (Meir par. 11). Have you ever seen kindergarten students at 7:30 a.m.? They are bouncing off the walls, while high school students are already hitting the wall. While early start times are favorable for younger kids, high school students have biological pressures related to their adolescent sleep patterns, causing teens to not fall asleep until later at night, resulting in sleeping later in the morning. In conclusion, later school start times benefit students, parents, and teachers. It is well documented that high school students are sleep deprived and going through physical changes. When students are well rested, they perform better in class, have more energy, and have better and more positive attitudes. Is this not a win-win scenario for students and teachers? We can help the cause by starting petitions and spreading the word. Even if schools gradually change the start times by 10-15 minutes per year, it will benefit everyone in the long run and will help students succeed in school and life.