Jada Garrison - jgarris5@kent.edu Essays - Neuroscience, Biology

Jada Garrison - jgarris5@kent.edu Essays - Neuroscience, Biology Jada Garrison - [emailprotected] Manchester Hall KSU - Twin Towers Desk 575 Senhauser Drive Kent, Ohio 44234-1079 28 October 2017 Ohio Department of Education 25 South Front Street Columbus, Ohio 43215-4183 To Whom It May Concern, Schedule demands of society cause a great amount of sleep deprivation among adolescents. As a recent high school graduate and now college student, I can feel the difference in how I learn. Many factors could play a part in this but I am positive that the later start to my academic day makes for a huge difference. With my school day starting at nine o'clock in the morning compared to eight o'clock, it gives me time in the morning to better prepare myself for the upcoming day. I feel all high schools across the country should consider beginning the bell schedule later in the morning to benefit the health and performance of their students and faculty. Looking at high schools across the country, 93 percent of them start the school day too early according to the 2014 School Health Policies and Practices Study. The brain does the best thinking when it is in acquisition mode, usually between 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. and again between 4 p.m. to 10 p.m. With most schools starting at the U.S average time of 8:03 a.m. this challenges the student to get a full night of rest. I know we may stay up a little late, but our bodies as a tween/teen is experiencing what is known as a "shift" in our natural sleep schedule. This makes it difficult for bodies to fall asleep before 10:30-11:00 at night. With our bodies resenting sleep we have to fight with ourselves to get motivated in the morning, even if it means we do not get a full eight hours of sleep. The delay wouldn't only boost the student's energy for the school day, it has also been proven to lead to higher scores on standardized tests. Early morning classes can be difficult for the student to be well prepared to obtain the information they are about to be presented. Sleep deprivation can take a toll on a teens decision making process. Studies have shown that the lack of sleep can influence the choices they make and even lead to anxiety, depression, and obesity. Studies have shown that illegal or risky behaviors carried out by older students happen between two and four in the afternoon, with a later start in the morning will result in a later end time in the evening. This may cut crime rates and questionable behavior of students. Even though teens may contribute to the problem buy consuming caffeine to try to wake themselves up or stay up too late on an electronic device, this still resorts back to the bodies build-up of melatonin preventing sleep. The secretion of melatonin is what makes one fall asleep, in teen this doesn't occur until later at night. Parents are affected by this crisis as well. There are some tips for the students and parents to best prepare them for the upcoming battle that they will have to face. One is for students to take brief 15-30 minute naps in the evening, but being cautious not to sleep too long effecting their nightly sleep schedule. Parents should make a great effort to try to create a stable sleep schedule for their children at a young age to help prepare the body for the upcoming struggle. A concerned student, Jada Garrison