Pushing Back the Bell

The New York Times reports that a number of U.S. high schools have set a later start time to allow their students to sleep longer and be more alert in class.

What is the basis for pushing back the bell? Researchers have found that teenagers experience a later release of the "sleep" hormone melatonin and typically do not feel drowsy until 11 pm. If allowed to get a full eight or nine hours of sleep, they can learn better. Recent evidence suggests that a later start time improves the students' mental health, attendance rates, and grades.

Of course, not everyone is thrilled with the shift in hours. The school day also ends later, meaning extracurricular activities, sports, and evening homework time are impacted. The new schedules may also be disruptive to families traditionally geared to an early start.

But for many teenagers, the later start time gives them a fighting chance to get the sleep they need.

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