Sleep has long been known to be an important ingredient for academic success. Various studies have shown that students – especially in high school – who don't sleep as many hours as they should have more trouble in school than their well-rested counterparts. And when it comes to standardized testing, including the Common Core State Standards-aligned tests many students are currently taking country-wide, sleep could be a huge factor in children's and teenagers' scores. Because sleep is so important for academics, many people – including pediatricians – believe high schools should universally delay their start times to 8:30 a.m. or later.
The link between sleep and academic success
In a 2012 study from Brigham Young University, researchers found a clear link between students who achieved the optimal amount of sleep and how well they scored on standardized tests. According to the study, students who reported sleeping within the optimum range of hours (which changed based on the students' ages) scored better overall on letter-word, passage comprehension and applied math problems than those who slept fewer hours than what's recommended for their age.
Why should schools start later?
Some say that students should simply go to bed earlier to get enough sleep, but a 2014 report from the American Academy of Pediatrics said it's not quite that simple. Biologically speaking, teenagers don't become tired until much later in the evening when their brains start to produce melatonin. That means, in order for them to get the 9 hours of sleep recommended by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, sleeping later each morning may be the only true solution. Pediatrician Judith Owens wrote in the report, "The combination of biologically driven processes with modern lifestyles and social obligations minimize the opportunities for adolescents to obtain adequate sleep."
And there's clear evidence that later school start times work to improve academics. A 2014 study from the University of Minnesota looked at students from 8 different high schools for 3 years and found overwhelmingly that teens who went to schools with later starts had improved attendance, standardized test scores and academic performance as a whole. Not to mention, according to the AAP, getting the right amount of sleep each night lowers the risk for obesity, substance abuse and other health issues.
When it comes to school administrators and even parents, though, the opinions on starting school later are pretty divided. Some say an earlier start allows more time for extra-curricular activities and family time in the evenings, while others believe students should get used to early mornings for most careers.
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