Study Shows Later School Starts Could Benefit Students [POLL]

The first period of the day at Yorktown High School in the Hudson Valley is 7:19 a.m. Students lucky enough to go to Great Neck South High School on Long Island get to sleep in for 40 extra minutes because their first period begins at 7:59 a.m.

Across the continental United States, the Seattle (Washington) School District in 2016 decided to change its high schools' opening time from 7:55 a.m. to 8:45 a.m.

It should be no surprise that students got more sleep: 34 more minutes more, the New York Times said.

According to Science Advances magazine, in connection with the time change, the sophomores of two public high schools in Seattle had their sleep cycles measured using wrist activity devices.

Students didn't alter their bed times, and the study found that they got more sleep, usually more than a half hour.

How did the extra time affect the students?

The study found that the teens were closer to reaching recommended sleep amounts for their age, and there was an increase in academic performance.

While the researchers admitted that it was difficult to completely attribute higher grades to increased sleep, it was "reasonable that students who are better rested and more alert should display better academic performance," the study said.

A bonus finding was that later school starting times saw an increase in punctuality and attendance, particularly in the one economically disadvantaged school that took part in the study.

To read the complete findings of the study, go here.

What do you think about letting teenagers sleep a little later in exchange for later class start times? Vote in our highly-unscientific poll and tell us why in the comments.

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