Most high schools begin between 7:15-7:45am, and over the past year many school board meetings have occurred concerning the start times. Several parents are worried that it starts too early, and their children are lacking sleep. So, that’s where the big question comes into play, how early is too early for high school?

Studies have shown that during the teen years the body’s circadian (like an internal clock) is briefly reset, signaling a person to fall asleep and wake up later. This change in the circadian rhythm is because the brain hormone melatonin is produced later at night for teens, compared to adults and kids. This makes it difficult for teenagers to fall asleep early.

During adolescence biological sleep patterns shift toward later times for both sleeping and waking up; this means it is not natural for teens to fall asleep before 11pm. Most teens need at least 8.5-9.5 hours of sleep each night in order to function/perform at their best potential the next day. Parents took all of these facts into consideration when they approached the school board meetings, in the hopes of pushing back the start times of high school.

So what is your opinion? Do you believe high school starts too early? Please leave your comments.