Parents of sleepy middle-to-high school kids are pushing for a later start of classes in schools. Schools should change the start time of classes and let teens get more sleep. Sleep deprivation is affecting their grades, and most teens are not getting the recommended amount of sleep each day. Although all schedules would be changed, it would greatly benefit the kids.

Kids aren’t getting enough sleep, and that’s affecting their grades. Dr. Judith Owens, a sleep researcher at Children's National Medical Center says “teens who get more sleep do better academically, with better standardized test scores and better quality of life”. Teens who do not get the recommended amount of sleep each night are also at a higher risk of being overweight and suffering depression.

Fifty-nine percent of middle schoolers and eighty-seven percent of high schoolers are getting less than the recommended 8 1/2 to 9 1/2 hours of sleep a night. Some parents think it’s because their teen is texting their friends all night on their phone. Even though blue light does make it hard to sleep at night, that is not the case in adolescents. As children become teenagers, their sleep cycle shifts two hours later, so it's very hard if not impossible for them to go to sleep before 10:30 p.m.

If schools do change the time kids start to learn, it would mess up everyone’s schedules, especially the teacher’s and student’s. There also would be no time for after-school activities, and the parents can no longer pick their kid up. Even though it would make it a bit harder to get to and from school, it would help the kids by giving them more time to get the recommended amount of sleep each night.

As stated, most teens are not getting enough sleep and that’s affecting their grades. Parents are pushing for a later school start so their child can be healthier. In conclusion, school should start later for middle schooler’s and teen’s health.