According to the National Children’s Hospital, on average, teenagers get 7 to 7 and ¼ hours of sleep every night. Between extracurriculars and homework, many kids don’t get the amount of rest that they need to function properly. By implementing a later school start time, students will be able to get more rest, causing them to start the day off in a better mindset.

In the months of October and March, the upperclassmen of Pascack Valley had the chance to sleep in due to state testing. 

PV Junior Aimee Hoffman said, “Coming into school late for those few days [was] really beneficial. Coming into school a little later than usual allowed me to be more attentive in my morning classes, when usually, I am really tired.”

This shows what a large difference just an extra hour of sleep in the morning can make for students.

“Having this extra time to sleep made me feel less stressed the following morning and ready for a new day,” Hoffman said. “I think coming into school late would be very beneficial for the overall mental health and stress levels for all students.”

Some people may be thinking, well why don’t you just go to bed earlier?

In a normal week for me, a freshman, I juggle dance, school clubs, as well as a ton of homework daily. 

My day ends around 11pm at night, only to wake up the next day around 6:30am to get to school by 8am. Many teenagers go through the same struggles and this lack of sleep makes it hard to get through their day. 

For a generation so concerned with mental health, starting school at a later time would be a great solution for students who have trouble with sleep whether it be falling asleep at night due to extracurriculars or stress, or waking up in the morning.

Sleeping in would allow for extra time to sleep or do work that they didn’t complete the night before. This will help improve mental health and manage stress. 

A later school start time would be beneficial for faculty as well. There are many teachers/ administrators who dedicate their mornings to the drive to school every day. Not only would this give them more time to commute, but similar to the students, they would have more time to get ready in the morning as well as more time to prioritize their sleep. 

According to the CDC, it is said that 1 in 3 students experience feelings of depression or loneliness. This is a serious issue that unfortunately affects more people just like us than we may realize. Sleep is valuable to all, and many cannot function properly without it. Staying well rested will improve academic performance and mental health. 

Applying more delayed openings or a later start time to school would be beneficial to students and staff.