The scientific evidence is clear: The school day should begin no earlier than 8:30

The average start time for public high schools in the U.S. is 8 a.m. The high school I attend, Boise High, starts at 7:45 a.m. sharp. According to the available evidence, this is too early. As a result of biological processes, teenagers tend to get tired later at night and as a result, need to sleep in later in the morning in order to get adequate sleep. When class begins at 8 a.m. or earlier, students largely don’t get enough sleep, which can have detrimental effects on their health.

Kids who don’t get enough sleep are more likely to be overweight and use illegal substances, according to the CDC. Lack of sleep can also lead to poor performance in school; sleep deprivation negatively impacts the nervous system and as a result damages cognitive function, which is needed for excelling in school.

By contrast, delaying school start times has been shown to increase nightly sleep duration among students. Regularly getting enough sleep is, in turn, associated with better academic performance, mental health, memory, and overall quality of life. Delayed start times are also associated with fewer car crashes, as students tend to be more awake while driving.

As a high school student myself, this issue hits home for me. I have witnessed countless sleep-deprived classmates drift off during a test, and this is partly due to an entirely preventable problem. High-school-age kids need more sleep in order to develop physically and mentally in a healthy way.

This evidence has been out there for years, yet very few schools have taken action. California is one of the few states that has taken steps in the right direction. Starting July 1, California public high schools are required to start no earlier than 8:30 a.m. This is in line with the American Academy of Pediatrics’ recommendation that school start at 8:30 at the earliest. According to the National Center for Education Statistics, only 14% of public high schools meet that recommendation. Idaho, regarding this specific policy at least, should follow California’s lead.

Of course, pushing start times back means school has to end later, which greatly affects bus schedules, sports, clubs, and more. However, I think it’s clear that the pros outweigh the cons here. It may be a headache to adjust schedules and adapt to different school hours, but the benefits of letting kids sleep longer are more important than scheduling issues by orders of magnitude. The biology of sleep needs is unavoidable.

In order to facilitate the biological development of kids and help them do well in school, Idaho high schools should consider pushing back start times to match the current evidence and research.

This story was originally published August 18, 2022 at 4:00 AM.