Writing in the Journal Rewired, the student newspaper at Southport High School in Indianapolis, Caiden Lents opines that starting the school day at 8:30 or later, instead of the current 7:10, would benefit students.
(Ed Yourdon / Flickr Creative Commons)The current 7:10 start time means most students are dragging themselves out of bed around 5:30 or 6:00. If you’ve ever felt half-asleep in first period, you’re not imagining things — your body’s actually wired that way.
Why Later Starts Make Sense
When you hit your teen years, your body clock shifts forward. Scientists call this a circadian rhythm shift, and it basically means your brain doesn’t get tired until later at night and doesn’t want to wake up early in the morning. Forcing teens into a 7:10 am school day is like asking adults to clock in for work at 4:30 am.
During puberty, teenagers naturally fall asleep later at night and prefer waking up later in the morning. Expecting teens to be alert at 7:30 is basically fighting their biology. This shift is well-documented in sleep science and is one of the strongest arguments for starting school later.
That’s why big organizations like the American Academy of Pediatrics and the CDC have said high schools shouldn’t start before 8:30 am. In districts that already made the change, students reported:
- More hours of sleep
- Better focus in class
- Less stress and crankiness
- Even fewer car accidents from drowsy driving
So yeah — more sleep could actually mean better grades, safer driving, and just feeling more human in the mornings.
What’s the Catch?
If later start times sound like a no-brainer, here’s why schools struggle to make the change:
First, many districts use the same buses for elementary, middle, and high school. If high school starts later, someone else may have to start earlier — usually the younger kids. Second, if dismissal is pushed back, practices and games get pushed later too. That could mean more missed class time for away games or getting home after dark.
A change may also affect people other than students and teachers. Some parents, for example, rely on older siblings to be home in the afternoon to help with younger kids. A later dismissal complicates that. And high schools don’t operate in a bubble. Afterschool programs, jobs, and even other schools and districts all get affected.
So while more sleep sounds amazing, the logistics are messy.
What This Means for Students
The push for later start times is really about your health and your learning. Advocates say teens deserve a schedule that matches their natural sleep cycle. But any shift also requires rethinking buses, sports, and family routines.
If Southport’s district ever considers a later start, expect debates at school board meetings, surveys of students and parents, and maybe some trial runs. It won’t be easy, but in places where schools have taken the leap, most students say the change was worth it.
Bottom line
Caiden is right: later start times would likely improve student well-being, safety, and academic performance. But the case isn’t complete without recognizing the logistical mountain districts face in making such a change.
That’s why some districts that have shifted to later starts did so gradually — adjusting bus routes, working with sports leagues, and partnering with parents. Where it’s been done, the results are largely positive, but the transition takes careful planning.
