The Solution
The only way to solve the issue of sleep deprived students is to start classes no earlier than eight thirty am. Schools could then extend their days to end at three thirty pm and no time would be lost. This is the best solution because it better fits the needs of a teenager’s sleep cycle. Students would be able to go to bed at their usual time (between ten and eleven pm) and wake up later. Teenagers tend to have irregular sleep patterns across the week — they typically stay up late and sleep in late on the weekends, which can affect their biological clocks and hurt the quality of their sleep (source). Starting school no earlier than eight thirty would allow teenagers to have a regular sleep pattern, better health, and focus better in school.