Delayed Bell For some high school students, sleeping is not considered a necessity, but rather a luxury. Sports, extracurricular activities, and fine arts programs play an important role in students' lives and require significant commitment and dedication. Social life aside, some students have taken additional efforts to acquire employment, participate in volunteer activities, and take additional Advanced Placement courses. With too many tasks to accomplish in a 24-hour day, high school students are forced to substitute for the most essential requirement of all: sleep. Getting out of bed becomes a struggle for most teenagers due to the early demands of high school. . Currently, most high schools start around 7:30 a.m., which is earlier than middle school and elementary school start times. As one source acknowledges, teenagers need sleep, especially between 8 ½ and 9 ¼ hours. However, most teenagers today only get about seven hours of sleep, and as the days turn into weeks, that number can really add up (Carpenter). A possible solution to this problem would be to start secondary school at 8:30 in the morning and, in addition, reduce the transition period. High school students are already in school most of the day, but most do not take full advantage of the educational program due to the lack of attention needed to solve math problems, stay focused, talk with friends, manage stress and retain. information. An advantage to starting school later would be that students would be less sleepy at school; thus, being forced to pay attention and – in the long run – improve their grades. According to a survey conducted by the National Sleep Foundation, "28% of students [fall asleep]" in the middle of an assignment... Perhaps starting high school an hour later could make things a little more difficult. Easier. It is obvious that it would improve health if students took advantage of the extra hour. But it could also improve grades, abilities and motivation. Starting school later makes it difficult to wake up in the morning effortless and enjoyable. Works Cited Carpenter, Siri. “Sleep deprivation can harm adolescent health.” American Psychological Association, October 2001. Web. November 20, 2011. Kalish, Nancy. “Early Bird Gets Bad Rating” The New York Times Company, January 14, 2008. Web. November 20, 2011. “Later School Start Times” National Sleep Foundation. Internet. November 20, 2011. Strauss, Valérie. “Schools are waking up to the unique sleep needs of adolescents.” Washington Post Company, January 10, 2006. Web. November 20, 2011. “Adolescents and sleep”. National Sleep Foundation. Internet. November 20. 2011.