More and more schools have begun to push back start times as students struggle to stay awake in classes as well as balance after schools activities with hours of homework and still manage to get the recommended 8 to 10 hours of sleep each night.

A study by Dr. Kyla Wahlstrom at the University of Minnesota, investigated the impact of later start times on student performance, and the results are encouraging. Dr. Wahlstrom found that students benefited by getting five or more extra hours of sleep per week due to changes in start times.

Sophomore Keren Idelman said,“I don’t get a lot of sleep, I take lots of challenging courses and most of my nights are filled with homework.”

In addition, Wahlstrom also found improvement in attendance and enrollment rates, increased daytime alertness, and decreased depression reported among students.

Dr. Mary Carskadon told the National Sleep Foundation, “Changing school start times is not the only step needed…It’s important to add sleep to the school curriculum at all grade levels and make sleep a positive priority,” says.

Although the start time switch seems simple, changing school start times can be challenging for school districts. Administrators have to delay bus schedules, coaches worry about scheduling practices and many students rely on the current start times for after school jobs.

Sophomore Lily Martinson said, “I do sports and some clubs but I wouldn’t be worried about changing start times getting in the way of that. i really just want to be able to get more sleep each night, ”