Schools Should Start Later in the Day - Local Schools

I apologize to the Public as well as my opponent. This debate was meant to be, and is centered around High School, and I believe that school should start no earlier than 8:30-9:00 A.M. I was SLEEP DEPRIVED so I forgot to add this. I will accept the definitions that my opponent had. Now, I will continue. Background to Sleep Ah, sleep. It is critical to humans. We use sleep to rejuvenate our bodies, rebuild our cells and injuries, to give our bodies time to rest, to maintain metabolism, to process memories, and serve many other useful functions. I have given a list just to stress what some of the benefits of a full nights sleep are to individuals and to society if they get their recommended amount of sleep: Sleep>>> -Improves memory -Extends lifespan -Reduces inflammation -Helps bodies repair themselves -Improves creativity -Improves Grades of Students -Sharpens Attention -Helps maintain a healthy weight -Lowers and stabilizes stress -Avoid more accidents -Help avoid depression We use sleep to maintain basic levels of cognitive and motor function. We feel more alert and more aware when well rested. Also, in case you didn't notice, we spend (should!) a third of our lives asleep. http://www.health.com... http://science.education.nih.gov... Importance to Education and Society Students need to have a good sleep schedule to learn the best in school. Many High Schools start at 7:30, as does mine from personal experience. Teenagers have a change of sleep schedule during puberty. Biological shifts alter in teenagers. It is very difficult to fight against one's internal clock. Teenagers are naturally adept to falling asleep at 11:00 to Midnight, and need to wake up 6:00 - 6:30. However, teenagers need nine hours of sleep. With less sleep, you create a sleep debt. So, teenagers fall asleep at roughly midnight on average, and later if poor sleep habits are in place, have too many social obligations, or have a sleep disorder. So, the average teenager gets 7.4 hours, which is not healthy enough. Some High Schools have already pushed back school start times, here are their results: Improved Attendance and enrollment rates Increased Daytime alertness Decreased student depression I would also suggest a course taught to students on sleep and show its importance on health. This would certainly lead to more sleep time among adolescents, improving their lives. Sleep Debt: The cumulative effect of not getting enough sleep. A large sleep debt may lead tomental and/or physical fatigue. Teenagers that don't get enough sleep builds a large sleep debt, which makes the individual more irritable, and have other adverse effects on health such as weight, weaker immune system, etc. Summary: Ø Sleep is critical to people's health, especially to students Ø Increased Sleep improves one's life and just about every facet in it Ø A large sleep debt is dangerous to one's health Ø Education on Sleep to Students would encourage and promote more sleep time Ø Hormones are mostly to blame, not the teenagers themselves Ø It has been proven that later school start times are beneficial to the students and schools. Ø Homework and other social responsibilities take time of a student's day after school I await my opponent's response. Sources: http://www.debatewise.com... http://parentingteens.about.com... http://www.sleepfoundation.org... http://en.wikipedia.org... http://thechart.blogs.cnn.com... http://blog.timesunion.com... http://www.mlive.com...