Sophomore Maura Murphy, like many high school students, has a problem with staying awake in class. She averages about six and a half hours of sleep on a school night, well below the American Academy of Pediatrics’ recommendation of eight and a half to nine and a half hours. Her need for rest often spills over into the school day.

“I don’t actually fall asleep,” Murphy said. “I just sometimes have to lay my head down because I’m so tired.”

Murphy believes that her lack of sleep influences her performance in school.

“It affects being able to pay attention,” she said. “When I’m tired all the time, I’m not really able to focus.”

The idea that sleep deprivation causes poor academic performance is supported by the American Academy of Pediatrics, an association of about 62,000 pediatricians. The organization recently released a statement that urges high schools to start later in the day to combat teen sleep deprivation and other health problems.

“Studies show that adolescents who don’t get enough sleep often suffer physical and mental health problems, an increased risk of automobile accidents and a decline in academic performance,” the statement said.

The AAP recommends starting school at 8:30 a.m. or later.

“Doing so will align school schedules to the biological sleep rhythms of adolescents, whose sleep-wake cycles begin to shift up to two hours later at the start of puberty,” the organization said.

However, Mr. Maclin, principal, is skeptical.

“There are a lot of studies out there, and you can use the studies to make them prove what you want,” he said.

Maclin does not think U. City’s start time of 7:25 is a bad thing.

“The earlier you wake up, and the earlier you get going, especially as a teenager, the better your body responds,” Maclin said.

Murphy disagrees.

“Usually I wake up and have this burst of energy, and then I’m dead for the rest of the day,” she said.
But according to Ms. Hill, assistant principal, there are good reasons that U. City doesn’t start later.

“Logistics-wise, it’s necessary to coordinate busing, since buses are shared with all buildings,” Hill said. “Someone has to start earlier to make the bus schedule work.”

Another concern brought up by Hill and Maclin is that extracurriculars and sports would be negatively impacted by a late start time.

“Our after-school activities would be affected,” said Maclin. “Our after school sports would be affected. We’re going to run into lack of daylight if we start later.”

Hill also worries about students being able to care for younger siblings and get to jobs.

“When high school starts early, they finish early,” Hill said. “It gives them more time to do things outside of school.”

Despite some of the issues with implementing the recommendation, Hill believes the AAP brings up a good point.

“I think it is a statement that all school districts are going to have to evaluate and reflect upon their own start times, and how it is affecting their students,” she said.

Although Hill does not know what our start times may be like in the future, she believes it is time to start thinking about them now.

“I don’t think school districts need to rush to change all of their start times, but I do think it needs to start a conversation at the district level,” she said. “I think the recommendation brings a sense of urgency to the conversation.”