Every morning before school, I wake up around 5:50 am, sit in bed for a few minutes, then roll over and turn off my six o’clock alarm before it goes off. That has been my schedule, my routine since sixth grade. Even on the weekends, I often find myself waking up around 6 a.m. and just laying in bed. My body is accustomed to it.
Our bodies crave routine and consistency. A Wednesday late start disrupts our chances of having a regular routine by encouraging students to stay up and sleep in later.
Now I know this will be an unpopular opinion; those extra two hours of relaxation and sleep on Wednesday is what keeps many students going through the middle of the week. But the reality is that those two extra hours of sleep are short-term gratification. They provide a little extra sleep, making you feel rejuvenated for the day while messing up your schedule for the next six.
The Harvard Medical “Healthy Sleep” website states, “a regular schedule not only tends to increase the amount of sleep people get each night, but it can also improve the quality of that sleep.”
So not only does following a regular sleep schedule help you actually fall asleep, it means the sleep you are getting will be more valuable.
Some will argue that the benefits gained from having an extra two hours of sleep outweigh the negative of messing up your sleep schedule one day a week. However, many students don’t actually get an extra two hours of sleep on Wednesday. Many see the late start as an excuse to stay up later.
So not only are we messing up the critical sleep schedule of students, but many aren’t even capitalizing on the opportunity to get extra sleep.
Now, if you’re one of the lucky few high school students who feel well-rested all the time, and therefore don’t care about Wednesday late start messing with your sleep, then you should focus on the late release. Getting out at the late time of 3:45 provides students with all sorts of difficulties. Students who work are not able to show up until later. Sports in the winter have hardly any time left to be outside before the sun is down. Students also have less time to do homework and other responsibilities after school, meaning they will likely be forced to stay up later, without a late start the next day to make up for it.
Getting rid of late start also opens all sorts of possibilities such as an early release on Friday. This would allow students to start vacations early enjoy a slightly longer weekend.
Although many cherish the late start and are appalled at the suggestion of removing it, it is time to take a serious look and the advantages and disadvantages of our current schedule. Upon closer inspection and with proper research we will find that the no late start is far more beneficial for student health.