As soon as the first alarm clock sounds, it seems as if every teenager instinctively slams the snooze button, yearning to get those few extra minutes of sleep before the long day of school begins. The students’ sleepiness drags into the day, affecting the way kids perform in school and after school activities.

Staples High School has been known for its exuberant success with grades and sports, winning state titles and having national rankings for education, but Wilton High School ranks higher than Staples. Starting 45 minutes after us, Wilton has made it their goal to improve learning by starting school at a later time for their high school students.

According to this website, “Teachers recognized a change in student behavior: they were more awake, had better attitudes and were overall more pleasant.”

Students should get an average of eight hours of sleep each night, Kyla Whalstrom, faculty member in the Department of Organizational Leadership says, “86 percent of schools in the United States refuse to change school starting times to later than 8:30 am. Nationwide Childrens Hosptial proved that teeangers who don’t get the average amount of sleep tend to get poor grades in school.”

Owen Burke, ’15 has noticed the effect of his sleeping patterns on his overall grades.

“Going to sleep at 12 a.m. after hours of homework is ridiculous. My grades have dropped as a result of waking up earlier, and I feel more tired during football season,” Burke said.

Griffin Thrush ’15 took a similar stance. “We should start school later because it will allow kids to get a healthier amount of sleep, allowing their brains to function better and prevent kids from getting sick,” he said. “I notice the days I have free first period and am allowed to sleep in helps me concentrate more during the day.”

Jessy Nelson ‘16 also explains that more sleep helps her concentrate.

“I’ve noticed that the more sleep I get the more I focus in class and succeed in cheerleading after school,” Nelson said.

The debate is up for whether school should start later or not and how it affects students overall learning. No matter what time school starts, hopefully more Staples students will find themselves rested with the perfect amount of sleep, excited to turn off their alarms.