Question:Should school start later, for high school students? Pursuasive essay. Thesis:School should start later for high school students.

Essay by Cool3369High School, 11th gradeA+, September 2002

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"It's eight a clock in the morning, and I just rolled out of bed. Today, Thursday is a late start at North Farmington High School. I am wide-awake and ready to start school due to the eight hours of sleep I got last night," said one student. Another student told her story, but the only difference was the day she told her story it was not a late starts. "I feel horrible. I had to wake up at 6:00 a.m. so that I had enough time to shower before school. I fell asleep in my first two classes, and I could blame this on the sleep I got last night; or should I say the lack of sleep- only 6 hours." Students would perform better if school started at a later time.

"With teenagers' busy schedules today, the first activity to give way is usually sleep" (Kaufman). The sleep deficit of teenagers obstructs their high school achievement.

To accommodate for teen's sleep necessity,, high schools should start later in the morning than they do presently. This action would better satisfy the sleep needs of teenagers, improve their academic performance, be beneficial for families of elementary school students, and increase safety.

Delaying high school schedule, even if only by an hour or just a half hour, would be beneficial to the sleep needs of teenagers. "Studies have show that after puberty, teenagers require more sleep (about nine and half-hours) but get less sleep (about seven and half-hours)" (Silver). After puberty, teens' shift into a delayed phase. Circadian rhythms (sleep patterns) all start and end later in the day than when they had prior puberty (Silver). Due to a teenager's change in sleep patterns, it would be better for them to begin school later than they do now.