A study conducted at a school in Rhode Island has proved that students are more motivated and more productive when the school day starts later. The start time was delayed from 8:00 to 8:30, and the results were fantastic.
Dr. Judith Owens, a sleep scientist, found that if the school day started later, there was a sharp decrease (80%) in the number of students getting less than 7 hours of sleep. As well, in the surveys the students took before and after the experiment, they were asked to rate themselves on terms of happiness. The results showed that during the later start time period, the number of students who rated themselves as depressed or unhappy decreased by close to 20%.
The point is, teenagers need sleep, and starting school later would help them be more focused and less depressed. Half an hour can make a difference, and hopefully the school boards realize that!
For more info on the study, click here!
