School or Sleep. Why must we choose? | Teen Ink

School or Sleep. Why must we choose?

November 6, 2009
By Urbs2013 BRONZE, Not Listed, New York
Urbs2013 BRONZE, Not Listed, New York
4 articles 2 photos 62 comments

Favorite Quote:
"The tao that can be told
is not the eternal Tao
The name that can be named
is not the eternal Name.

The unnamable is the eternally real.
Naming is the origin
of all particular things."


In a country that is searching for answers as to why its children are not performing at top capacity, it seems fairly obvious that one of those answers may be found in the time at which they start their school day. For any parent who has looked with pity upon their teenage children as they drag themselves, glassy-eyed, and bedraggled, out of bed at 6 AM each day, there is a way to help. Do some deluging of your own and bombard your school board with well-researched pleas for a later start to the high school day. Not only will our students be healthier and more successful at tasks in school, they will become nicer individuals.

The National Center on Sleep Disorders has published studies explaining that once a child goes through puberty, the body’s circadian rhythm changes. An eight or nine year old is physically capable of falling asleep at 9:00 P.M., but a teen over the age of thirteen has already gone through a circadian rhythm shift, in which the natural hormone Melatonin is not released until later at night, leaving them unable to fall asleep until 11:00 P.M. or 12 A.M. This creates the scenario of teens receiving no more than six to six and a half hours of sleep a night, when research shows that they need a minimum of nine to eleven hours. Combine this with the stress of constant testing, heavy course loads, after school clubs, jobs and research internships and you get a very stressed out, unhealthy young ‘next generation.’ Who can blame them for being cranky?

The following list outlines the key points in the debate for a later school day.

(1)
Weight Gain: When one goes to sleep early, one produces specific chemicals that inhibit weight loss. The body views sleep loss as stress, and stress encourages people to want to eat carbs, like pasta, bread, or potato chips. Sleep deprivation lowers leptin levels (a chemical which indicates body fat and fullness), and raises ghrelin levels (a chemical which induces hunger and reduces satiation levels). The body reacts in this way because it sees sleep loss as a major source of stress. The association between sleep deprivation and obesity seems to be strongest in young-adults. According to the online library system, GALE, several important studies using nationally representative samples suggest that the obesity problem in the United States might have teen sleep loss as a major factor.

(2) Disease: The health detriment to teens is actually quite frightening. A 1999 study










discovered that 11 healthy students who slept only four hours per night for six nights showed insulin and blood sugar levels similar to those of people "on the verge of diabetes." Equally impressive studies demonstrate rise in heart disease and blood pressure in young people who are sleep deprived.

(3)
Better Grades: lack of sleep affects a student’s cognitive state, making it difficult to focus on the details of a class, and adversely affecting memory. Studies have shown that schools who moved their start times from 7:30 A.M. to 8:10 A.M., and especially those schools whose days begin at 9:00 AM, have noticeably better and more alert students. In these schools, 90% of the student populous move up a full grade, and those who are already in the A-range become more energetic and creative. (APA Monitor) Apparently the high level thinking that becomes impaired with sleep loss returns with an extra one and a half to two hours of sleep.

This should not be surprising as numerous studies from medical schools like the University of California at San Diego (2000) have determined that the brains of otherwise healthy teens had to work harder to achieve less when sleep-deprived.

In the year that the new high school schedule was implemented for the schools involved in the above study, teachers found that more of the curriculum was able to be taught in a single period. Even the teachers themselves seemed more involved and animated, according to an anonymous survey. After all, teaching is partially a performance art, and a performer can only be as good as his or her audience. If people in the audience are sleeping, it cuts down on some of the performer’s enthusiasm!

(4)
Sports: Sleep is a natural steroid. It boosts stamina and energy, but best of all, it doesn’t hurt the body like anabolic steroids. The more sleep someone gets, the more likely they are to succeed, and even excel in sports. Imagine what nine hours a night could do for the high school football team?

(5)
Personality: As someone who has personally experienced this debilitating loss of sleep, I can safely say that on the days when I lose a lot of sleep, I am a very grumpy and unapproachable individual.

Parents and teachers say that they want teens to communicate with them, but high school students are communicating on a daily basis: through their anxiety, frustration, constant colds and illness, short tempers, and need for isolation—just to recuperate from battling an exhausting day on six hours of sleep. The Government is so concerned about keeping students in school for more hours—how about allowing teens to begin their school day more rested so they can perform in a more focused, energetic manner? 9:00 A.M. –it’s such a nice round number.



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This article has 320 comments.


on May. 19 2019 at 9:15 pm
found_my_voice, Mesa, Arizona
0 articles 0 photos 1 comment
@Urbs2013 Incredibly written article with a plethora of crucial points! It's a shame that those in charge of school and/or district schedules either aren't aware of this or don't acknowledge it.

on Feb. 8 2017 at 11:23 am
TheBallerGamer,
0 articles 0 photos 1 comment
I agree totally right

_Trixia said...
on Apr. 26 2016 at 10:20 am
_Trixia, Zamboanga City, Other
0 articles 0 photos 1 comment

Favorite Quote:
Stay motivated

Cool! I've found explanation.. Lucky for us, some teenagers can't handle this situations/ pressures in life. Teenagers do a lot of adjustments.

xpoler said...
on Dec. 2 2015 at 12:07 pm
xpoler,
0 articles 0 photos 1 comment
@ms.practicallyintellectual .......burn

Cats said...
on Dec. 3 2014 at 3:57 pm
I think cats are the way to go. Don't you?

DruperBryan said...
on Apr. 25 2014 at 3:03 pm
DruperBryan, Kansas City, Missouri
0 articles 0 photos 2 comments

Favorite Quote:
“Be the change that you wish to see in the world.”

Lucky you, but I think that this has become a problem because yours is an ecception... Most of US middle schools and High Schools start before 8:00am

Coolcats360 said...
on Apr. 3 2014 at 1:46 pm
Nancydrewgirl, there is only one way to describe you, fantastically awesome! And I love the nancy drew series too! Have you tried the computer games? They're really fun to play!

on Dec. 26 2013 at 9:26 pm
Firelight23 BRONZE, Vadnais Heights, Minnesota
1 article 0 photos 9 comments
This is a great argument and a debate my language arts class mentioned in school. It's obvious that many highschoolers are sleep deprived and stressed, and something should be done to change this. 

mooimacrab said...
on Oct. 5 2013 at 11:04 pm
this is a really good argment love it 

Loldawg BRONZE said...
on Apr. 27 2013 at 4:45 pm
Loldawg BRONZE, Coronado, California
2 articles 0 photos 1 comment

Favorite Quote:
"Reality is merely an illusion, albeit a very persistent one." -Albert Einstein

As much as I agree with you, Dylan, as someone with an extremely heavy workload, going to be before one o'clock is just an inconceivable notion. Although many people may have extra time, many others do not. I, for one, know that my schedule leaves me no time after school to do anything but a sports practice, eat, and do homework. All before falling asleep between 12:00 and 1:00. I think that your sentiment is a good one, it is just unrealistic for many students who are have maybe a little too much going on for them to handle.

Susieq said...
on Apr. 11 2013 at 9:55 pm
As a current high school student, I think high school classes should start at 9am and end at 3pm

on Jul. 3 2012 at 9:05 am
Grania PLATINUM, Portland, Maine
33 articles 0 photos 79 comments
As for the article, I love it! Really compelling arguments. I totally agree with you. I'd also like to add that starting school later does not mean we should have to end later. The six-hour school day itself is sortof a bad idea, as the brain can only take-in new information for a very short amount of time before it needs a period to process the information subconsciously. Later-starting, shorter school days that are richer and more full of hands-on experience are the way to go, in my opinion.

on Jul. 3 2012 at 8:59 am
Grania PLATINUM, Portland, Maine
33 articles 0 photos 79 comments

Babygirl809-

I really respect that you are so invested in your school and community, but I want to give you a warning, because I used to do the same thing you are doing now. After two years of involvement like yours, I was diagnosed to be addicted to stress hormones, and I have now spent a very long time working to normalize the chemicals in my brain through yoga and meditation. It certainly is a competitive world, but it is actually not as competitive as you think. I just graduated and got into Smith, BU, etc, but the emphasis of my application wasn't on my accomplishments, but on my growth as an individual. Colleges want to see a smart, motivated, real person, not an achieving machine. Take it from someone who knows now: achievement isn't worth what it seems to be worth. Of course, it's your life, but I promise you'll be much healthier if you drop a few teams/clubs and make time for yourself. :D


on Mar. 13 2012 at 2:05 pm
scribe-of-wonder-world SILVER, Houston, Texas
9 articles 0 photos 1 comment

Favorite Quote:
"I see nothing in space as promising as the view from a Ferris wheel."
- E. B. White

The truth of the matter is that students/teachers/parents will always have a certain amount of stress and responsibilities associated with school. If the length of the school day remains constant, there still won't be a significant change in the stress and duties we will face. Therefore, it is best to allocate the 24 hours that we have in a given day properly so that we balance our physical needs and school-related responsibilities.

on Jan. 7 2012 at 10:30 pm
mockingbird5 BRONZE, South Pittsburg, Tennessee
4 articles 0 photos 7 comments

Favorite Quote:
"Myles: "You didn't kill him. He would have killed you, but you didn't kill him."
Alanna: "So? He was stupid. If I killed everyone who was stupid, I wouldn't have time to sleep."
-Myles of Olau and Alanna of Trebond, In the Hand of the Goddess

ms. practicallyintellectual, I'm glad you know the importance of writing correctly. It will serve you well. But just because you are the captain of the debate team does not give you extreme bragging rights. I could say that I've been to numerous writing camps or that some of my work has been published. I've won awards. But that's not the point. Just because you were not completely incoherent with your language does not make it right or easy to read. It took me a bit to decipher it. Plus it gives off the air that you are a bit uneducated and don't care about the English language, even if you are. No offense. And I have. I've read many of the classics: Pride and Prejudice, Wuthering Heights, the Secret Garden, Great Expectations, To Kill a Mockingbird, etc. And I loved them..well, most of them. I despised Great Expectations, but that's beside the point as well. My username has less to do with the fact that I love Nancy Drew (although that is true as well) and more to do with the fact that that is my username on many different websites and it's easier for me to remember only one rather than twenty others. I read the Nancy Drew books when I was in third and fourth grade (although I discovered the Files a couple of years ago and have started reading them). It would be nice if you weren't so disdainful of anyone who tried to help you. It doesn't make you look better than me, you know.

on Jan. 7 2012 at 3:57 am
lioness_210 BRONZE, VADODARA, Other
1 article 0 photos 15 comments
dearest nancydrew girl, im as much a writer as you are... that is the very reason i have logged onto this website...it is rightly said that words are just meaningless letters, when without feelings, so it would be better if you would take in account what is said rather than describing the vocabulary i used as 'phone language'... and had my language been so incoherent, you would have never been able to decipher and comment... i would also like to add that i have been the president of the debate club and the creative writing club and know very much how to spell and pronounce... on a friendly note, i would also like to suggest books of writers like charles dickens, emily bronte and mark twain. etc. other than the nancy drew series you read, as i had finished the series in 5th grade itself... with regards, ms.practicallyintellectual.

on Dec. 30 2011 at 12:41 am
mockingbird5 BRONZE, South Pittsburg, Tennessee
4 articles 0 photos 7 comments

Favorite Quote:
"Myles: "You didn't kill him. He would have killed you, but you didn't kill him."
Alanna: "So? He was stupid. If I killed everyone who was stupid, I wouldn't have time to sleep."
-Myles of Olau and Alanna of Trebond, In the Hand of the Goddess

"Tech tongue" seems like a very impractical way of speaking if you ask me. And yes, before you go off on me, I go to school. I am a teenage girl. Now, for instance, 'noe' is really spelled 'know'. Oh look, one more letter and two different ones. 'pitty' is really spelled 'pity'. One less word. It also is extremely hard to get your point across and sound like a well-educated individual if you are talking in incomprehensible English. Yes, it may be 'convenient' when you are texting on your phone, but pleaseL when you are on this site, with educated writers who physically flinch at the sight of a post like yours, please try and make yourself write proper English. It physically pains writers such as me to see the English language degraded like this.

on Dec. 30 2011 at 12:40 am
mockingbird5 BRONZE, South Pittsburg, Tennessee
4 articles 0 photos 7 comments

Favorite Quote:
"Myles: "You didn't kill him. He would have killed you, but you didn't kill him."
Alanna: "So? He was stupid. If I killed everyone who was stupid, I wouldn't have time to sleep."
-Myles of Olau and Alanna of Trebond, In the Hand of the Goddess

Sorry, I was replying to ms.practicallyintellectual and pressed the wrong button.

on Dec. 30 2011 at 12:39 am
mockingbird5 BRONZE, South Pittsburg, Tennessee
4 articles 0 photos 7 comments

Favorite Quote:
"Myles: "You didn't kill him. He would have killed you, but you didn't kill him."
Alanna: "So? He was stupid. If I killed everyone who was stupid, I wouldn't have time to sleep."
-Myles of Olau and Alanna of Trebond, In the Hand of the Goddess

"Tech tongue" seems like a very impractical way of speaking if you ask me. And yes, before you go off on me, I go to school. I am a teenage girl. Now, for instance, 'noe' is really spelled 'know'. Oh look, one more letter and two different ones. 'pitty' is really spelled 'pity'. One less word. It also is extremely hard to get your point across and sound like a well-educated individual if you are talking in incomprehensible English. Yes, it may be 'convenient' when you are texting on your phone, but pleaseL when you are on this site, with educated writers who physically flinch at the sight of a post like yours, please try and make yourself write proper English. It physically pains writers such as me to see the English language degraded like this.

schoolgirl13 said...
on Dec. 29 2011 at 9:38 pm
schoolgirl13, Sanford, North Carolina
0 articles 0 photos 1 comment

Favorite Quote:
A perfect girl isnt real, and a real girl isn't perfect.

where i see your point, on the downside, we wouldnt get home until like five p.m. Add in the kids who participate in extra-curriculars, and they dont get home until around seven thirty. Plus at least a half hour for homework, as well as time for dinner, and of course hygiene. After all of this, its eitehr late, or time to sleep for the next day. This would cause a person to not have any free-time or close to none. Where as I love the idea of starting later, it would not really help teens too much. And i do love the way you wrote this. It is a very informative piece and well-written.