A student has written an essay. The essay may include errors. Read the essay. Then answer Numbers 3 through 10.
Should School Start Later?
1 Everybody knows that teenagers are sleepy in school. Too many students do not get the recommended number of hours of sleep they need in order to make it through the day. Although a number of factors influence this, it would help to change the time teenagers are expected to begin school each morning. A later start time would give students enough sleep to be better prepared to learn.
2 Many studies have been conducted on how much sleep students need. Most of this research has shown that teenagers need at least 7 to 9 hours of sleep each night. A teenager is going through a lot of biological changes. During sleep, important brain activity and functions are performed to manager these changes. Only 15% of teenagers surveyed report getting at least 8 hours of sleep during the school week.
3 When teenagers do not get enough sleep, bad things can result. Students can become easily irritable and cranky. These problems can lead to behavioral problems and become an obstacle to academic success. Students who lack adequate sleep tend to make more impulsive decisions and take more risks. Students suffering from sleep deprivation have reduced attention, and it may be harder for them to concentrate on complex tasks and assignments. These traits have always been hallmarks of teenage life.
4 Teenagers can lose sleep for a number of reasons. Some of these reasons involve the internal biology and chemistry of the teenage body. For instance, due to changes within teenagers’ bodies, their internal clocks push back the time they are ready to sleep. Teenagers may want to go to sleep at 9 p.m. but their bodies just will not let them until 11 p.m. This biological cause of sleeplessness may also be connected to a teen’s use of electronics at nighttime. The exposure to light and mental activity can further disrupt a teenager’s sleep pattern, making it harder to fall asleep.
5 Teenagers also face external forces that keep them up at night. Homework demands, sports practices and games, and jobs may keep teenagers out of the house and active late into the evening. Teenagers’ social schedule may also keep them up late. Since teenagers often need more sleep than their parents and younger siblings, it may be difficult for teenagers to sleep in, even on weekend mornings.
6 Although we cannot control many of the other variables, one factor we should consider is starting school later once students become teenagers. Starting school later will allow teenagers to adjust to the shift in their bodies’ biological clocks and increased outside-of-school commitments. A well-rested teenager would be better prepared and more attentive to learning.
