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Marissa Missan

Mrs. Taylor

English 11, Honors

19 March 2014

Sleep Deprivation and School Start Times

BEEP! BEEP! BEEP! BEEP! The incessant noise leaves the mother no choice but to go

in herself, “Wake up, you’re late,” she says, getting the usual response, “Mom, just 5 more

minutes, I’m tired.” The mother then proceeds to turn on the lights, snatch the blanket from her

13-year-old daughter, and shake her awake. Once the teen finally rises, the mother goes next

door and repeats the process with her 17-year-old son. When thinking back to a time of sheer

exhaustion, one can only imagine the constant tiredness many teens face every morning (“Sleep

Drive”). Many teenagers struggle like the two above. Naturally, one would suggest going to bed

earlier, but regardless of efforts to obtain satisfying sleep, waking up is a struggle intensified by

circumstances related to school. Although refuted by some, sleep deprivation negatively impacts

one’s overall health, academic/athletic performance, and mood.

To understand why sleep deprivation has such a negative impact on teenagers, one must

understand the bodily processes related to sleep. Homeostasis, one bodily function related to

sleep, is the desire for the human body to maintain equilibrium (Maxon). Included in

homeostasis is the sleep-wake function, which balances the time spent awake and the time spent

asleep (Spinks). Therefore, the longer one is awake, the sleepier one will feel (“Sleep Drive”).

For example, relentlessly working on a school project for 18 hours will cause exhaustion due to

the imbalance between the time one is awake and one is asleep. In short, homeostasis works to

keep the ratio consistent between being asleep and being awake.
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Yet, homeostasis does not work alone. One’s circadian rhythm, or “biological clock,”

internally sets when one will sleep and when one will awaken (“How Much Sleep”). Although

initially circadian rhythm and sleep-wake homeostasis seem similar, the two work together with

different functions. Homeostasis will maintain the ratio between sleep and wake time, while the

circadian rhythm sets the time on a daily schedule that one should sleep (“Backgrounder”). Also,

the circadian rhythm controls functions that are not related to sleep. According to the National

Institutes of Health, appetite, mood, and “cell regulation” are all dictated by the circadian rhythm

(Fults). Therefore, when the circadian rhythm is thrown off by irregular sleep patterns, other

functions in the body are altered as well.

Synchronizing with the circadian rhythm, melatonin prepares the body for sleep

(findingDulcinea Staff) by slowing the heart rate, preventing urine from forming, and stimulating

sleepiness (“Late Nights”). In adolescents, the circadian rhythm is delayed about 3 hours

compared to an adult’s circadian rhythm (findingDulcinea Staff). In other words, adults are ready

to sleep and wake up three hours before teenagers. To test this, Dr. Mary A. Carskadon of Brown

University took saliva samples of adolescents. The levels of melatonin were high later in the day

as expected, proving a teenage body is ready for sleep later than young children and adults

(“Backgrounder”). A teenager’s body is not biologically engineered to go to bed before 11pm or

to wake up before 8am (“Late Nights”), and some studies, explains University of Pennsylvania’s

Richard Schwab, MD, have found a teenager’s ideal bedtime to be as late as 1am (qtd. American

Thoracic Society). Even when tired, melatonin levels will affect sleep-wake homeostasis and, in

turn, make it difficult for one to fall asleep (Spinks). Teenagers cannot simply go to bed early

because the feeling of tiredness and the ability to sleep are not perfectly in unison.
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The lack of harmony between sleep and tiredness is greatly increased by school start

times. According to Susan Shelly of Reading Eagle, teenagers require at least 8-9 hours of sleep

per night (D10), with 9 hours truly being ideal (Nakashima). Yet, it has been noted that teenagers

only average 6.5-7 hours of sleep a night (American Thoracic Society). Keep in mind, “on

average” implies some teenagers are getting more sleep, but many teens receive far less. The

math is disturbing. For example, a teenager attending a school that begins at 7:30am may have to

make a bus at 7:15am. Average teenagers are biologically ready to sleep no sooner than 11pm

(“Sleep Drive”). If this hypothetical teen wakes up just 25 minutes before the bus arrives, a mere

7 hours and 50 minutes of sleep each night would be obtained. Compared to the desired 9 hours

of sleep received when sleeping on the same clock as melatonin production, (11pm – 9am), over

an hour of sleep is missing. The nightly sleep loss quickly adds up, causing sleep deprivation.

There are incredibly large numbers of teenagers suffering from the health consequences

connected to sleep deprivation that it has been labeled an “epidemic” (“Experts”). Sleep is,

comparatively, as important as food, water, and breathing (“Teens and Sleep”). Lacking sleep,

one’s immune system is weaker (“Teens and Sleep”), the body does not have time to repair its

cells (Maxon), and the possibility of injury is increased due to one’s delayed attentiveness

(findingDulcinea Staff). Bodily injury is especially a concern for teenagers who fall asleep at the

wheel. Even with enough hours of sleep a night, driving before 8am is dangerous for teenagers

because the levels of melatonin prevent them from devoting their complete attention to the task

(“Teens and Sleep”).

It is not just the amount of sleep that is important, but also the quality. A school dictates a

teenager’s routine, and if it does not allow for adequate sleep, then sufficient sleep will not be

obtained. A major factor in sleep quality is the consistency of the time of day one falls asleep at
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night and one wakes up in the morning (Maxon). When teens have the opportunity to sleep later

on the weekend nights, it causes the time they sleep and wake up each day to vary. Due to the

body’s circadian rhythm, this fluctuation in time causes poor sleep quality (“Sleep Drive”).

When a sleep/wake routine varies for more than 60 minutes on a regular basis, memory,

behavior, and overall performance is negatively affected (Aubrey) because of the circadian

rhythm (Maxon).

Teenagers feel the peak of their tiredness from 3-7am and from 2-5pm also because of

their circadian rhythm. (Unlike adults, with ranges from 2-4am and 3-5pm). Periods of fatigue

can last even longer when one is sleep deprived (Maxon). To feel the benefits of proper rest, one

must have sleep of decent quality.

Ethan, an 18-year-old male who attends Henry C. Concord Schools of Science in

Wilmington, Delaware, says he is always tired during the day. Ethan plays lacrosse, basketball,

and currently has 7 honors classes and 1 AP course his senior year. Ethan’s immediate response

when asked if he feels tired throughout the day was “YES!” He also specified that the peak of

his exhaustion occurs between 2pm to 5pm, which perfectly aligns with the dip in energy the

circadian rhythm causes. By 5pm, Ethan has been through an entire school day, is in the middle

of lacrosse/football practice, and has not even made it home to start his homework yet (Missan).

Clearly, periods of tiredness take up much of a teen’s day, and even life, and sleep deprivation

exacerbates the problem.

“Sleep debt” is a term used to describe one’s need to acquire more sleep (“Sleep Drive”).

The accumulation of necessary sleep is affected by the circadian rhythm. The circadian rhythm

prevents compensation over the weekend for sleep lost on school nights (Maxon). Eventually, so
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much sleep is owed that an individual has a debt that is impossible to repay (Spinks). Sleep debt

is another reason teenagers struggle to remain well rested.

As a result of sleep deprivation, teenagers experience an inability to reach full mental

awareness, affecting students’ ability to perform well in athletics and academics. In Ethan’s

interview, he describes the further effort required for completing a task when tired. He is “not

able to run as long or as fast” (Missan); therefore, keeping up with practices of average difficulty

becomes more challenging with sleep deprivation. Although Ethan is just one person, his words

plainly reflect the feelings of sleep-deprived teenagers.

As studies indicate, “sleep and learning are inextricably linked” (Aubrey). Before 8am,

the high levels of melatonin in a teenager’s body can hinder the formation of new memories

(“Sleep Drive”) and one’s overall “cognitive ability” (Myslinski). When tired, the constant lack

of energy leads to poor attention during class. The National Sleep Foundation found that up to

28% of high school students fall asleep during first period (Kalish). As the statistics demonstrate,

students are exhausted, and they struggle just to stay awake. In order to be a successful student,

one must be able to pay attention, complete homework, and study, all of which require the proper

amount of sleep for brain function to be working appropriately.

Insufficient sleep also immeasurably affects the behavior of teenagers. Due to the fact

that the same neurotransmitters are used for one’s sleep and mood, sleep deprivation can cause

symptoms similar to those of depression (Maxon). In addition, sleep deprivation can impede the

normal regulation of one’s behavior, “[leading] to increased irritability” (Myslinski). Teenagers

are often criticized for their moodiness, but biologically, many teenagers are in poor

circumstances to improve themselves. School start times are a major cause of teenagers being

unable to fulfill their sleeping requirements. Responses to sleep deprivation can include
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stubbornness (“Teens and Sleep”), change in diet, and the inability to cope with changes (“Sleep

Drive”). Effects of inadequate sleep daily influence one’s overall disposition.

To improve the mood, performance, and health of teenagers requires a change in school

start times that many claim to be impossible. Any beneficial change will have complications, but

changing school start times is vital to the wellbeing of high school students. A popular concern

for those against changing school start times is bus scheduling because the associated changes in

bus schedules can be costly and complicated. Every school is different, but there are schools with

dedicated supervisors that have overcome the challenges in bus scheduling. One example comes

from a school in Minnesota. The issues involving buses were successfully solved by simply

exchanging the high school bus schedule with the elementary school bus schedule (Kalish). A

plethora of schools around the world have done so, and found the students to have better overall

attendance, participation, and grades (Nakashima).

Another challenge schools face is the concern for afterschool activities. If schools are let

out later in the day, many parents and teachers are concerned that students will miss valuable

class time for club and sport competitions. As a solution, some schools rearranged the times of

competitions and practices. Through collaboration with different coaches and advisors, later

school start times did not affect the time students spent in class (“Eight”). Well-rested students

make better competitors.

Some families are concerned that their students would not have enough time for after-

school employment if schools ended later in the day. Families that rely on the income of

teenagers to help support the family are especially concerned. However, when schools

implemented later school start times, employees noted that fewer workers were needed before

schools were let out. Despite later end times, work opportunities were noted to be foundationally
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unchanged (“Eight”). In conclusion, student employees with later school end times can continue

to work without much impact to their pay.

Despite difficulties related to changing school start times, schools are beginning to open

their eyes to the biological needs of teenagers. Taking a “more comprehensive look at the

[problems]” (Nakashima) has led to healthier, happier, and all around more competent students.

School boards must take the time to design schedules that economically and logistically improve

the education of the students. Creative ideas, such as following a typical work schedule (Kalish),

leaves students, teachers, and parents at an advantage. Proper sleep is as important as breathing,

and must be considered a higher priority of schools around the world.

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Works Cited

American Thoracic Society. "Start School Later In The Morning, Say Sleepy

Teens." ScienceDaily. ScienceDaily, 21 May 2007. Web. 29 Jan. 2014.

Aubrey, Allison. "High School Daze: The Perils of Sacrificing Sleep for Late-Night Studying."

NPR. NPR, 21 Aug. 2012. Web. 23 Jan. 2014.

"Backgrounder: Later School Start Times." National Sleep Foundation. National Sleep

Foundation, n.d. Web. 17 Mar. 2014.

"Eight Major Obstacles to Delaying School Start Times." Delaying School Start Times. National

Sleep Foundation, n.d. Web. 26 Jan. 2014.

"Experts: Later School Start Helps Sleep-Deprived Teens; Symposium looks at research,

solutions." Education Week 27 Mar. 2013: 13. Opposing Viewpoints in Context. Web. 29

Jan. 2014.

findingDulcinea Staff “More Schools Starting Later to Accommodate Sleepy Teens” finding

Dulcinea Dulcinea Media, Inc. February 08, 2010. Web. 28 Jan. 2014.

Fults, Erin. "How Our Bodies Keep Time." LiveScience. TechMedia Network, 08 Mar. 2011.

Web. 18 Mar. 2014.

"How Much Sleep Do I Need?" KidsHealth. Ed. Mary L. Gavin. The Nemours Foundation, 01

Mar. 2013. Web. 16 Mar. 2014.

Kalish, Nancy. "The Early Bird Gets the Bad Grade." The New York Times. The New York Times

Company, 14 Jan. 2008. Sat. 16 Jan. 2014.

"Late Nights and Laziness." BBC. BBC News, n.d. Web. 25 Jan. 2014.

Maxon, Seth. "How Sleep Deprivation Decays the Mind and Body." The Atlantic. Atlantic

Media Company, 30 Dec. 2013. Web. 25 Jan. 2014.

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Missan, Marissa. Telephone interview. March 11, 2014.

Myslinski, Norbert R. "In the Arms of Morpheus - The Minneapolis Experiment."

World and I Dec. 2000: 130. Opposing Viewpoints in Context. Web. 29 Jan. 2014.

Nakashima, Ellen. “Montgomery to Study Teens’ Sleep Needs; Panel to Consider

Changing School Times." Washington Post 21 Apr. 1998: B04. Gale Opposing

Viewpoints In Context. Web. 18 May 2012.

Shelly, Susan. “If You Don’t Snooze, You Lose.” Reading Eagle 7 Feb. 2014: D10. Print.

"Sleep Drive and Your Body Clock." National Sleep Foundation. National Sleep Foundation,

n.d. Web. 23 Jan. 2014.

Spinks, Sarah. "Adolescents and Sleep." Frontline. PBS, n.d. Web. 25 Jan. 2014.

"Teens and Sleep." National Sleep Foundation. National Sleep Foundation, n.d. Web. 23 Jan.

2014.