I am sure many students can relate to this. Teachers often expect us to be at our peak performance and productivity in the morning, but don’t understand that our brains are still looking for more sleep.

I study at the American School of Warsaw, where school starts at 8:30 am. Although this might seem late, it takes me around 30 minutes to get there by bus, which leaves at 7:45 am. I have to leave home at 7:30 am, which means waking up at 7 am.

Many students have a long commute to school, forcing them to wake even earlier. This makes me feel tired and not ready for school. According to Better Health Channel, a teenager requires at least 8–10 hours of sleep per day, however, in reality, most teens have 6.5–7.5 hours of sleep.

Sleep is crucial for us teenagers. On days I need to wake up early, I find myself going through the day feeling tired and unable to focus. This lack of sleep means I can’t pay attention in class and my grades might drop. Many studies support experiences like mine and point to benefits for health from later school start times.

Later school start times are also supported by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Their research finds that students with adequate sleep are more likely to result in better mental well-being, have improved academic performance.

School hours should, therefore, be synchronised in line with the natural sleep time for students as it will get them conditioned and at their best for learning; if the school day begins at 9 am, then, at least, students would then have some extra rest and be prepared to learn.

The Sleep Foundation points out that most teenagers experience ‘phase delays’ throughout puberty, which can change the body’s internal clock back by up to two hours.

This results in teens not being able to fall asleep until 11 pm and would need to wake up at 8 am or later to get enough hours of sleep. However, according to 2017/18 federal research data, 42% of US schools start before 8 am and more data states that 75%–100% of public schools across 42 US states start before 8:30 am.

Additionally, some countries such as Finland, Australia, and parts of the UK have school start times around 8:30–9 am. Finnish schools typically start between 9 –9:45 am, while Australian schools generally begin at around 8:30–9 am​. In the UK the traditional start time is 8:45–9 am.

The idea of starting before 9 am might be justified from a traffic and energy savings perspective, but the benefits for the health and development of students far outweigh any potential disadvantages.

By optimising students’ development we are setting them up for better health in the future. With so many advantages taken into account, isn’t it high time we change our ways about school start times and put students’ health first?