More than 70% of high school students lose sleep due to school starting at 7 a.m., according to the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation’s Culture of Health. Caney Creek High School’s first period class starts at 7:10 a.m.
Conroe ISD should push the start time back to 8 a.m. to allow students to get a proper amount of sleep.
Lack of sleep could lead to lower test scores and mental conditions. According to the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation’s Culture of Health, lack of sleep could lead to obesity, diabetes, depression and suicidal thoughts. It can also cause lower test scores, bad grades and less focus in class making it harder for students to learn and improve their grades.
Sleep deprivation can lead to many serious injuries. According to Dr. Ross Goodwin, a child and adolescent psychiatrist at Kaiser Permanente in Virginia, sleep deprivation is also at an increased risk of sports injuries, substance abuse and car accidents and it can also affect how they perform throughout the day.
It’s important for parents to support their child by making sure their child gets a good amount of sleep. According to Amy Morin. A psychotherapist, Writer in Mental Health, parents can help their children get a good amount of sleep by taking their electronics for at least 60 minutes before bedtime, by keeping a consistent bedtime schedule on the weekends and on school vacations. And it can also help teens be less likely to depend on caffeine to stay awake during the day.
People believe a later start time will make it difficult to schedule sports practice, extracurricular activities and it could also interfere with time available for after school tutoring. According to The National Sleep Foundation, families have already conditioned for an early school start.
However, according to The American Academy of Pediatrics insufficient sleep in adolescents has become a public health issue and recommends that middle and high schools should start no earlier than 8:30 a.m. But as of 2017, the average start time for public school was 8 a.m. , and 10% of schools started before 7:30 a.m.
Conroe ISD should push the start time back to 8 a.m. because this would benefit students who don’t get enough sleep, stay up late, and kids who have after school activities. This would help students be ready to learn and engage more in school activities such as raising their hand when the teacher asks them a question, volunteering to do something for the teacher when asked.
