Students all over Lincoln are sacrificing their much needed sleep in order to arrive at their first period class on time, at eight in the morning. This not only affects students’ attention spans, but also their overall health, especially when most teens drink caffeine in the morning to stay awake. Teenagers’ minds are very vulnerable because they’re still maturing, so getting enough sleep, and waking up naturally, is crucial for their development.
Several reports say that adolescents need at least eight to ten hours of sleep per night, but according to a small Oracle survey, most only get seven or eight. Getting enough sleep has shown to improve teenagers’ performance academically and athletically. Students will be more attentive, less irritable, and there’s even a positive correlation to the amount of sleep a student gets and class attendance.
Starting school an hour later, at 9 a.m. rather than 8 a.m., would help more students fall into that eight to ten hour sleeping period. Dr. Sonya Reynolds, a pediatrician at Complete Children’s Health, agrees that this would benefit students…