The discussion of how much sleep teenagers need is a constant topic across many career fields. Doctors, parents, counselors, coaches, and even teachers all recommend getting more sleep; however, is that even possible? The current school schedule for students across the country doesn’t allow for them to get the recommended amount of sleep and be able to complete all necessary homework, social requirements, and sports or club practice hours. To prevent this, I believe the school day should be shorter and start later.

Being in the classroom does provide many benefits, both from an educational standpoint and a social standpoint. It allows students to use their brains and interact with people in their community; however, the number of hours spent at school might not be the most productive. For me, having an hour and twenty-minute class does not always seem necessary. Most days, a lot of the class becomes work time or is filled with busy work that just isn’t necessary. While work time is nice, having 45 minutes of it seems excessive when that time could be spent at home, getting other things done, and getting to sleep earlier. Having shorter classes wouldn’t hurt students, as a lot of times, teaching can be completed in half the time given. Not everyone agrees with this, though, as some teachers still feel that class time is still too short, even with an hour and 20 minutes. The amount of time needed does vary depending on how content heavy the class is and how much time the teacher feels that they need to be in front of the class, which is understandable in some cases.

If class time could be shortened, not only could school start later to allow students to sleep in, but it also might increase productivity. Giving teenagers so much extra time to complete something will often make them procrastinate. If being able to find the balance between teaching and work time in a shorter amount of time became a reality, it would benefit both students and teachers. Students and teachers will come into the classroom more rested, which can create better learning environments and social interactions. This increase in productivity could also help reduce homework hours. While no one can guarantee that students will get more sleep with the pushback of school start times, at least it shows that school districts and administrations are putting the health of their students first. This could not only help their reputation but also make current families happier.

On top of school hours, students are told that they “need” to participate in extracurricular activities, volunteer, do internships, have a job, and still enjoy their life with their friends all at the same time. Students “need” to have a full resume of various activities to have a hopeful future, but they also need to not wish the time away and focus on the now. Yet, there are not enough hours in the day to complete everything expected of them. This causes extra stress on how to fit it all in and also brings about later nights and less sleep. If the school day were to be shorter and more productive, hopefully bringing about less homework, students would have more time to complete everything they need each day.

In high school, schoolwork always seems constant, leaving many students feeling as though they never have a break. You go to school for a full 7 hours, then have hours of homework to complete on top of that. There isn’t time to shut your brain off, even when a lot of the time spent at school isn’t adding any benefits. That time should be spent getting more sleep to help students have a better life, school, and sleep balance.